Crisis Management
by waterlit
Summary: Allen is a surrogate mother for the Bookmans. She gets to know Kanda - and things progress from there. They go uphill and downhill, and no one is sure if a happy ending lies at the end of the tunnel. Kanda/fem!Allen, Lavi/Lenalee.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

**[Crisis M****anagement]**

**Starring: Kanda/fem!Allen**

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It was a spilt-second decision – one that would alter the course of her life and possibly take her from sad sod to happy woman. Of course, she didn't know it then; she was hungry and her stomach just gave yet another rumble, and really, having to deal with bills and irate customers for hours while standing on her poor feet probably drove her a little crazy. That momentary insanity caused her to shove her way past a tall man, wincing as his dark hair brushed past her face.

Then she was suddenly caught by the arm, and thrown back, only to find herself being glared at. The aggressor was a man, tall, oriental and somewhat good-looking, but she was not at all pleased to find his hand holding her roughly by her right arm.

"Excuse me?" Allen said.

"Watch where you're going, you little miserable freak," the man growled, his eyes narrowing into a furrow.

"Oh, you she-male?"

"What did you just call me, you Moyashi?"

"Moyashi? What is that!" Allen snapped and pulled her arm away. It hurt where his fingers had clutched at her. Her stomach protested, and she paused. "Oh, never mind."

Food was still the top priority, and therefore, with one last glare at the long-haired man (was he a hippie?) Allen moved off towards Jerry. She collected her food and then walked away to a table at the end where her friends were sitting.

"Allen," Rhode said, "what's up with you?"

"I… I'm just tired."

"Is that so?" Tyki asked, twirling his cigarette smoothly in the air. The smoke drifted up towards the ceiling and Allen watched its path, her eyes half-closed.

"Yeah. Yeah."

"You're acting weirdly," Tyki observed.

"I'm tired. Really. Thanks for the concern."

"Where's Link?" Rhode queried, her golden eyes scanning the eatery. "I don't see a trace of him."

"That's true." Tyki leaned forward. "He's usually hanging around you."

"I – he – he left last night."

"Why?"

"I don't know, Rhode. He has business somewhere else, I suppose."

"Where?" Tyki asked.

"Asia."

"Asia's a big place," Tyki remarked, his fingers curling around the white edges of his cigarette.

"We quarrelled, if that's what you're getting at, Tyki."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Tyki reached out and patted Allen sympathetically on the back.

"No, it's okay. Sometimes I wonder why we're still together. Maybe it's about time to reconsider. But that's not the point, guys. I'm going to Dr Bak's later."

"You're sick?" Rhode looked surprised, her usually narrow eyes now large.

"Uh, no. I'm going to be a surrogate, remember?"

"Aren't you afraid?"

"No, Tyki, I'm not. I need to… do something to ease the guilt."

"Take care, Allen," Tyki said. "You know we're here if you need us."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks." Allen managed a smile and looked ruefully at her empty plates. "I didn't know I was eating that fast."

"You didn't?" Rhode asked, laughing. She twirled her fork in the air, potato chunk still stuck at the end. "I was looking at you eat. I feel a little sick. The speed was too fast. "

[[]]

"Lenalee, we don't have to go through this if you're not ready."

"No, Lavi, I want to do it. For you. For me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It's you who needs to be sure. I've made up my mind a long time ago."

"What if you don't get along with the surrogate?"

"What if you fall in love with her?" Lenalee retorted.

Lavi shifted in his armchair. "Must we go through this again?"

"I'm sorry." Lenalee put her fingers to her temples. "You must be as nervous and anxious as I am."

"My poor darling," Lavi said, reaching over and drawing her slim hand into his own. "We'll make this work, trust me."

"Mr and Mrs Bookman?"

Lavi and Lenalee looked up. A nurse with plaited hair and a clipboard in her hands smiled shyly at them.

"Yes?"

"Please follow me. Dr Bak is ready to see you."

The couple rose and Lavi slid his arm around Lenalee's shoulders. He squeezed her left shoulder gently as they walked towards the doctor's office. The nurse knocked on the door and opened it, gesturing for the couple to enter the consultation room.

"Thank you, Lou Fa," Dr Bak said and smiled at his patients.

Lou Fa left the room, and Dr Bak offered his patients some tea. "Hello. How're you two feeling?"

"Fine," Lenalee said and managed a small smile.

"Are you ready? Your surrogate is waiting in the next room."

"Yes we are." Lavi's one green eye was bright and alert. "We are fully committed to this."

"Mmm." Dr Bak got up and opened the door into the adjoining room. "Allen?"

A young woman walked into the room. She was slim and slightly pretty. Lavi stared at her hair; it was white and fell gently about her shoulders. Lenalee stared at her scar: it was angry and red and ran down her left cheek. The young woman smiled at the couple, and offered her hand.

"This is Allen Walker," Dr Bak said. "This is Lavi Bookman and his wife, Lenalee."

"Nice to meet you, Mr and Mrs Bookman!"

"Just call us Lavi and Lenalee," Lavi said. "So, Allen, are you sure you are ready to be a surrogate? You look really young. Are you doing this for the money alone?"

"I must say, the financial part was a big draw, initially. It still is, to be honest." Allen blinked. "But, I'm not that young. I'm twenty-seven, actually. And… I will definitely respect you and the child I will be carrying. I have an obligation to fulfil."

"An obligation?"

"I… did something in the past that I have never forgiven myself for. I think helping a couple to get some happiness is one way I can atone for my sins."

"Oh," Lenalee replied. "If you put it this way…"

"I'm sure Allen will be a great surrogate," Dr Bak put in.

"Yeah," Lavi concurred. "But – do you have family members to be accountable to?"

"My former guardian doesn't give two hoots about what I do. Anything that brings in money is fine by him."

"Any boyfriend or husband, though?"

"I do have a boyfriend, but he's overseas and won't be back in the foreseeable future." Allen's grey eyes swept downwards. "It doesn't matter what he thinks, anyway."

Lenalee patted the girl's hand sympathetically. "I see. What do you do for a living?"

"I work here, actually. On level three of this building."

"Oh?"

"I run Judgement."

"The wine shop!" Lavi laughed. "I always get our wines from you. But I've never seen you around before."

"That's not surprising. My ex-guardian, Cross, used to run the counter until about a month back. Then he disappeared and since then, I've had to run the whole place myself."

"I think you're going to be a great surrogate, Allen." Lenalee smiled gently. "I believe we'll get along just fine."

"Me too," Lavi agreed. "I think you don't know us. We all work here as well. I'm a lawyer. My grandpa and I own Bookman & Bookman. We're the best lawyers around here."

"I see," Allen said, her lips lifting into a half-smile. "That's interesting."

"Indeed." Lavi produced his name card with a flourish. "If you ever need any legal help, please feel free to contact me."

Lenalee laughed and hit her husband playfully. "Ignore him, Allen. He gets a kick out of doing that. Well, I own Dark Boots. You know the shop?"

"Uh, it's an apparel shop?"

"More or less."

"I haven't been there before. But I heard some customers talking about your shop before – they said the quality is good and all that."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Me too," Lavi muttered. "Because we really need to start a conversation about the quality of clothes and baubles right now."

"So…" Bak said, anticipating that time was short and he had other patients to deal with, "since you are all pleased with one another, can we all sign the forms now? I've briefed you about the procedures and Lavi here knows the law, so I gather we know enough to start signing now. Then we can move on to the procedure proper."

"Sure." Allen signed on the dotted line.

[[]]

That night, Allen rested at home. Home, to her, was a dilapidated apartment just blocks away from the mall. The rent was low, which helped to lower the amount she had to fork out every month, and really, it was all Cross Marian's fault. The fluorescent lights were giving out, and she didn't even have money to replace them. Soon she would be living in darkness. With luck, she might be able to buy candles. _How romantic. _

Flipping her blue-and-white clamshell phone open, Allen amused herself by looking at the photos saved within her phone. She laughed at the photo of her friend Narein – because in that ancient photo he was trying to do a headstand and failing terribly. Then she thought of _it_, and her throat constricted. Subduing a sob, she moved on.

There was a photo of her with Link. Allen glared at Link's visage, summoning all the terms she had heard Cross use before. The man was an idiot and a total control freak if there was one; she wanted to break up with him, but it was hard to just make him see sense because Link was such an idiot and definitely a control freak. His uncle, Leverrier, had a large stake in the firm that owned the mall, and any word from Link might get Allen kicked out from her rented space. That wasn't something she particularly wanted.

She was therefore glad that Link was abroad and wouldn't be back till many months later. Without him, her life seemed less cluttered and more youthful. She had her own breathing space now.

Her hands drifted to her abdomen. _I hope the baby will be fine. I really want to do something to help. _

[[]]

Meanwhile, three streets down, three people had dinner in a stylish apartment decorated with soft rugs and comfortable armchairs.

"You know what?" Kanda growled. "I think you two are plain stupid."

"Yu, stop saying that. Do you know how hurt we feel?"

"Stop calling me Yu!" Kanda exploded.

"Oh, Yu, you know you love me." Lavi beamed beatifically at Kanda.

"Stop gaying onto me."

"There's no such word as gaying, my dearest Yu."

"You damn – "

"_Kanda._" Lenalee shot her friend a warning glare. "_Lavi_."

"Sorry, darlin'!"

"Che."

"Let's drink, alright? I hope our surrogate's fine at the moment." Lenalee raised her glass to her lips.

Lavi followed suit, but Kanda stared morosely at the red liquid in his glass. "I'll bet that woman you hired's a bitch."

"Don't be like that, Yu."

"Need we go through this again?" Lenalee sighed. "She's nice, Kanda. Just wait till you meet her."

"Hmph."

"Yeah," Lavi agreed, "Kanda won't find her nice. He doesn't find anyone nice."

"Baka Usagi…"

"Lenalee, darlin'! your friend's threatening me again!"

"Lavi – remind me again. Why did I marry you?"

"Because I'm handsome and charismatic and lovely?"

"You wish," Kanda told him. "You're deluded, you sorry excuse for a man."

"Yu!"

"Guys, stop it! If I wanted that much testosterone hanging around me I'd have gone to watch a football match, okay?" Lenalee scolded. "I'm at home, and I want to be happy and comfortable."

She hugged a red heart-shaped pillow for emphasis. Kanda grumbled something under his breath about wanting to go home, but Lavi decided to drag him to the sitting room for a manly heart-to-heart talk. Meanwhile, Lenalee leaned back and dreamed about fair babies with pink cheeks, all crawling slowly over the floor to where she sat, all calling 'mama' at the same, glorious time.

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A/n: So… I decided to write something with Allen as a surrogate mother. I just wrote this recently – I think, about two weeks ago? Of course, I mean no offence to surrogates.

I've been reading John Connolly recently, too, and his works are darned funny. I guess some lines in the dialogue here were inspired by his works.

Well, heh, how did you find this? The first chapter's rather short, though.

Reviews would be nice – and, thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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**Chapter 2**

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_Four months later_

Allen smiled and shook Hevlaska's hand before walking out of _Prophecies_. She had just managed to sell a bottle of vintage champagne to the lady, and she was pleased. No doubt Hevlaska's customers would be pleased to down a glass of top-notch liquor while browsing in the occult store, and Allen was happy to oblige. Hevlaska was one of the few storeowners she knew who ran shops on level two, and she was nice and motherly. She was the one who had given Allen a shoulder to cry on when the girl felt too overwhelmed by the absolute size of Cross' debts.

"Oi, Moyashi."

Allen stopped in her tracks, pulling her mind back from rapid mental calculations on how long it would take for the debts to clear. Turning, she faced the man who'd called her so rudely and raised a white brow.

"Thought it was you," Kanda said. He glared balefully at her.

"You… I'm not a bean sprout!"

"Oh you actually managed to find out when it means." Kanda looked surprised.

"Google solves everything," Allen said scornfully in a tone that implied she didn't think Kanda could use a computer.

"Hmph." Kanda's face resumed its trademark grouchy mask. "Seeing you has made my day worse."

"Goodness knows it's made _my_ day worse. Anyway you started talking to me first."

"Che." Allen thought she heard him mutter 'childish' under his breath. She was sure his breath stung, anyway, if it was as sharp as his words. Only a foul mouth could come up with foul words.

"Don't go around accosting young ladies like that, anyway. It's not gentlemanly."

"Gentlemanly!"

"Yes, gentlemanly. I hope you know what that means."

"Of course I do, you bitch! I'll chop your hair off if you're not careful!"

"Threatening a woman? How unbecoming," Allen tutted, examining her nails.

"Moyashi!" Kanda snapped. "That's enough."

"I'm glad you think so. Now stop the verbal abuse and get away from me please."

"I'm more than willing to!" Kanda spat and then he left as abruptly as he had talked to her.

Allen shrugged and moved on, her mind returning to calculations and ways with which to torture Cross for leaving the hard work to her. She took the escalator back to level three and thanked Rhode for looking after the shop in her absence.

"It's fine," Rhode said, shifting away from the counter. "Anyway there're always too many people in Noah Enterprises. No one would notice if I snuck off."

"The Earl might get angry…"

"No he wouldn't. Master Millennium is a nice, jolly person!"

Allen nodded vaguely at that. She knew the Earl, of course – she had been invited to his mansion the year before as Rhode's guest at their annual Christmas party. The Earl seemed nice and fatherly, but there was something unnerving about his smile as well, which was why she'd refused Rhode's request for her to join Noah Enterprises. What Noah Enterprises actually did Allen did not know; it was probably an amalgamation of all sorts of lines of business because all the Noahs seemed to do different things.

Rhode had told Allen that she dabbled in dreams – she specialized in dream analysis. It sounded like something out of a horror firm, but really, Rhode said, all she was trying to do was find ways to enter others' dreams. Allen thought it sounded a tad too like science fiction, as if Rhode had watched Inception once too often, but Rhode said it was possible and then she went on and on about downloading and other terms Allen couldn't understand, and so that was that.

Tyki, on the other hand, seemed to have a hand in many pies. He was involved in a spot of mining, and he also seemed to own an escort agency. Allen wasn't quite sure what it was that Tyki did either, because Tyki was always maddeningly vague about it.

Tyki and Rhode were the two members of the Noah family with whom she was great friends. She wasn't that close to the rest of them, though she knew them by sight and by name, and would greet them if she met them. She thought Skin looked scary, but then Rhode said he was just a big baby who loved candy and who needed to attend anger management courses. Tyki said Skin was a bodybuilder, though how he managed to build his body through hours of sitting at a desk in The Ark eating sweets was beyond Allen. But she smiled at him, all the same, because every few days Skin Boric would pop into her store and purchase a bottle of wine, and she couldn't very well be rude to such an important customer, could she?

Then there was Lulu Bell, the icy cold one. Cross had once tried to seduce her, but she had whacked him on the head and stuck the right heel of her stilettos in a place Cross was fiercely protective of. He never approached her again, but grumbled about his many exploits under his breath every time Lulu Bell walked past their store front.

Allen did like Debitto and Jasdero, though. They were friendly and funny, and they made her laugh with their crazy antics. Cross didn't like them, and he had once tried to palm his bills off on them. Ever since then they hadn't dropped by Judgement much, though when they did they invariably came with a present or two for Allen. They were that nice, though they pretended to be all hardcore.

That afternoon, Allen closed up a little earlier than usual. The Bookmans had invited her to dinner with them, as they did every Friday, but today they said they were inviting another guest, one whom they were anxious for her to meet. Lenalee had said that the guest was their best friend, and she wanted him – so it was a guy – to know their surrogate and be part of the happy process.

Allen couldn't complain about it. After all, they were nice enough to provide her with a good, delicious and ridiculously big dinner every Friday. She hadn't any reason to back out, anyway. She liked meeting new people even though she was always very formal in her manners at first. The guest who was coming might be as nice as Hevlaska was (and the Bookmans had introduced Allen to her as well).

Therefore Allen willingly went home to change into something that she hoped would not embarrass her and the Bookmans. Lenalee had sent over boxes of maternity wear for Allen two months ago, because she wanted her surrogate to have the best so that her baby would in turn have the best. Lenalee had also told her that she was one of her best friends now, hence she wanted to shower Allen with care.

Allen found it hard to call Lenalee one of her best friends after just four months of knowing the lady, but she quite liked Lenalee. They were friends, at the very least, and one thing friends do is remind each other not to be late. Allen's phone beeped; Lenalee had sent a message reminding Allen to be on time.

With a little smile on her lips, Allen turned to her closet and chose an empire style dress that draped nicely over her swollen tummy. She patted her abdomen and smothered all thoughts of another baby who might have been, choosing instead to contemplate if she should wear lip gloss.

[[]]

"The bitch is late."

"Kanda!" Lenalee scolded, "watch your words!"

"Yeah, Yu, be nice. Make a good first impression."

"She's late."

"You're just early, Kanda. Look at the clock. It's not even seven yet. Allen's rarely late for dinner." Lenalee smoothed down her apron and neatly stacked the dishes on the dining table.

"Allen's here!" Lavi called from the door.

"Come on, Kanda." Lenalee pulled her friend by his hoodie along with her. "Allen! You are here!"

She pulled Allen into a hug, careful of the other's belly. "Allen, this is Kanda. Kanda, this is Allen."

"Your surrogate is the Moyashi?" Kanda looked scandalized. He knit his brows together and glared at Allen again, all the while muttering something in his native Japanese under his breath. _Stinky breath_, Allen reminded herself.

"Wait – you mean you were referring to Allen when you whined about that short blonde female who cut your queue?" Lavi queried, breathing deeply so that he would not laugh.

"You think?"

"My hair isn't blonde, BaKanda!" Allen growled. "It's white, as any idiot would be able to tell. You must be colour-blind. And I told you I'm not a Moyashi!"

Kanda's ears picked up the insult to his person at once. "Why, you bi –"

"Now, now," Lavi said, stepping into the fray, "I think Lenalee has dinner ready. Let's not fight."

"Kanda, if you touch a strand of Allen's hair, you're dead," Lenalee snapped and rubbed her temples. "Come on, let's have dinner."

Lenalee sat Allen and Kanda opposite each other, hoping that there wouldn't be any physical combat this way. Unfortunately, though, Kanda noticed how Allen managed to finish up four whole platefuls of food before he was even midway through his soba, and he couldn't help but comment in the brutal way only he had mastered.

"You're a pig, you know?" Kanda began. "If you eat like this… you're never going to be married. You'll be an old maid."

"With a tongue like yours," Allen sweetly countered, "no girl would ever want to kiss you."

"What's wrong with my tongue you damned Moyashi?"

"Obviously," Lavi commented, "Allen is saying that you're not hot, Yu."

"The hell?"

"I did _not_ say that."

"Ahhh, so you think Kanda is hot?"

"No!" Allen sputtered.

"_Guys_." Lenalee was near the end of her tether. "Do not fight at the table. And Lavi, don't encourage them. You know how touchy Kanda can get."

"I am not touchy!"

"Eh. Let's change the subject." Lenalee waved her fork in the air. "Today, I saw Madarao."

"Madarao?" Allen asked. "Isn't he the guy who comes and checks the mall every now and then?"

"He is." Lavi nodded. "He's not too bad, but his boss, Leverrier – now, that man is really a devil in human form, believe me."

"I hate him." Lenalee shivered and Lavi made a sympathetic noise. "He used to terrorize me when I worked at Komui's lab."

"He's a psycho," Kanda contributed.

"Yu is right." Lavi looked at Kanda's face. "I mean, Kanda is right."

"Who is this Leverrier? I haven't seen him before…" Allen frowned to herself. _They can't be talking about Link's uncle?_

"You'll see him soon enough, Allen. It's almost winter, and every winter we get this Christmas party hosted here. Leverrier will come down as guest of honour," Lenalee explained. "Since you're all done, anyway, I'll serve dessert now."

"Lenalee's a good cook," Lavi observed. "That's one of the things I love about her."

"Che."

"You're right, Yu. It doesn't pay to compliment ladies, does it? And yet I'm the one enjoying home comforts now, while you're stuck all alone in that big house of yours."

"I told you not to fight." Lenalee returned carrying glasses. "Boys are boys."

"I agree with you," Allen said.

"After you finish drinking, Lavi and Kanda go wash the dishes. Allen and I will sit here and have a good heart to heart talk."

"What?" Lavi cried.

"I'm not a damned maid!" Kanda growled.

"No, but you're our friend. Therefore you will help Lavi do the dishes. Because I cooked."

Allen laughed and Kanda turned his burning eyes her way. She grinned back widely and then sipped daintily on her hot chocolate. Lavi stood up at the moment, having finished his drink, and pulled Kanda into the kitchen with him to commence Operation Wash-the-Dishes.

"They're finally out of the way." Lenalee smiled at Allen. "How's the baby? Any morning sickness?"

"No. I've been pretty lucky, I daresay. I haven't had morning sickness at all this week."

"That's good. Remember to tell me when you next have a check-up. Either Lavi or I will go with you."

"Thanks, Lenalee." Allen looked down at her cup – at the white rim and the glossy sheen and thought of her own chipped mug at home.

"Are you sure you don't want to move in with us? We could look after you better that way…"

"I appreciate your kind thoughts, but I'll stay where I am. I don't want to impose on you further."

"Impose on us!" Lenalee laughed. "We're the ones imposing on you!"

"There's not really much space here for another adult…"

"That's true… Lavi's papers and books take up a lot of space. We could let you live in the guest room, though."

"Yeah, we could," Lavi agreed, striding in and sitting on the dining table.

"That's fast," Allen noted.

"We use a dishwasher."

"I'll bet this brat here doesn't know what a dishwasher is," Kanda mocked. His arms were crossed over his chest, and Allen felt a desire to pull the man's long hair before pulling the hoodie over his face.

Lenalee frowned and turned to Allen. "Ignore them."

But the evening had been spoilt for Allen. She did not relish the idea of spending another minute in Yu Kanda's company, and she smiled wanly at Lenalee. "I'm a little tired, Lenalee. I think I'll make a move first."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Come again next week!" Lavi waved.

"Come again," Lenalee agreed, letting Allen out of the apartment. "I'll drop by Judgement to see you."

"Bye."

Behind her, Allen heard a low voice grumble. "Good riddance."

"K_anda!_" Lenalee chided as she closed the door. Allen sighed and went off. She wasn't really tired – she just wanted to get away from the obnoxious jerk. Now she hadn't anything to do; the last thing she wanted was to return to the run-down flat. Maybe she should head over to the nearby casino for a quick game?

Quickly, Allen directed her steps toward the casino, pausing only to greet Tyki when she entered. Tyki was at the blackjack table, and he scarcely seemed to hear her greeting. Grumbling to herself, Allen made for the poker tables, where she soon won countless games. The man sitting opposite her glowered at her each time she produced a winning hand. He had lost close to two thousand to her since the game started, and he didn't quite like the way fate was dealing the cards. Allen smiled patronizingly at him and continued to win hand after hand.

After two hours of non-stop winning, Allen got tired. She thought she should leave for home, because the baby probably needed rest, and so she left. Behind her, the disgruntled man rose too, his fingers clenched.

Allen left the casino in a good mood. In just two hours she had won five thousand dollars; that was more than enough to last her through the week until the outstanding debts were paid using the profits she netted from Judgement. She whistled lightly and walked briskly along the dimly-lit road, back in the direction of the Bookmans' home.

Then she heard footsteps. Turning, she scanned the road behind her and found no one. _Strange,_ she thought, _I could have sworn I heard the rustling of leaves under feet._ Shrugging, with one hand on her tummy, Allen continued her journey home. The night air was cool; summer was almost over. It would soon be autumn, and then she'd spend a whole day in a nice, warm café, drinking coffee and watching as the first red leaves drifted away from the branches.

And then, she would – Allen stopped. Behind her, her hands were pinned to her back, and she felt hot breath on her temples.

"Don't move. Don't scream."

Allen was spun around none too gently by her captor, and she recognised him under the straggly light from the nearest street lamp. She looked at the cut on his cheek, and remembered sitting opposite him in the casino and winning his money game after game.

"Give me my money back, you bitch!" The man reached out, a penknife in his hand. Allen gaped at the feral grin on his face as he brought the penknife to the base of her throat. The feel of the cold metal on her skin was traumatising. She thought, immediately, of an animal being led to the slaughter.

"I want the damned money back, you hear me?"

* * *

A/n: How was this chapter? Please do pardon any errors – this is unbeta-ed. Did this live up to your expectations? Or did it not? Was it too slow, or was it too fast, or was the pace fine?

Hmm I just finished writing chapter 4; it's getting increasingly harder to write! If you have any suggestions or criticism, feel free to comment. I hope you liked this. Anyway, thanks for reading – and reviews would be appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing (:**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

* * *

_And then, she would – Allen stopped. Behind her, her hands were pinned to her back, and she felt hot breath on her temples. _

"_Don't move. Don't scream."_

_Allen was spun around none too gently by her captor, and she recognised him under the straggly light from the nearest street lamp. She looked at the cut on his cheek, and remembered sitting opposite him in the casino and winning his money game after game. _

"_Give me my money back, you bitch!" The man reached out, a penknife in his hand. Allen gaped at the feral grin on his face as he brought the penknife to the base of her throat. The feel of the cold metal on her skin was traumatising. She thought, immediately, of an animal being led to the slaughter. _

"_I want the damned money back, you hear me?"_

* * *

She heard him, but she stood her ground and dug her feet into the ground, pulling her head away from the man. The icy edge of the penknife was no longer resting on her skin. "I won the money!"

A punch flew toward her, but she dodged. Instead of hitting her nose, the man's fisted fingers scraped her cheek. She could fight back, but she was now pregnant, and the child was not her own. She had to use her wits to get out of this brawl alive and safe. Twisting around, she aimed a kick at his groin. It missed and hit his shin instead, but he groaned in pain all the same and released her.

Immediately, she caught her balance and ran for it, wasting no time to escape from the deranged man. But he recovered far more quickly than she gave him credit for, and he spun her around, his nails digging into her flesh. She shrieked slightly at the sharp battering feel of his nails.

She fell, her hands reaching out to break her fall and protect the unborn child she was carrying.

As she fell, though, her forehead hit the ground even as her hands protected her stomach from the impact. Dizzy, she sat up and tried to wave the man off. She heard shouting, and a voice that sounded incredibly familiar – it was probably Tyki who had come to her rescue – and then she lost touch of the voices. There was the sound of bone shattering, a string of curses uttered with singular vehemence into the dark sky, and the slightest whisper of sneakers shuffling over the hard road.

All she could see before her was a face attached to a creature with its legs curled snugly into its body. Its skin was a pearly white, like the colour of crushed seashells. Its lashes were long, and its mouth was a thin line barely distinguishable from the rest of its slight face. Its eyes had a pinched-in look; when they opened she could see grey pupils looking back at her, see the depths of her grief and misery reflected back at her.

It was a face she had seen a thousand times in her darkest nightmares. It was a face she both desperately wanted to see and wanted to banish from her thoughts.

She cried out in surprise and reached out to touch the little apparition. Its tiny mouth inched open into a lopsided grin; there were little sharp teeth within.

'Allen!" Someone shook her. "You okay?"

"Baby…" Allen muttered. "My baby."

"Okay, I'll get you to the hospital right now. Don't fall asleep, you hear me?"

"Come to Mummy…" Allen whispered, watching tearfully through half-lidded eyes as the little foetus blinked at her and then disappeared into the silent night, leaving behind only a trail of shadows. The ground upon which it had once stood was now just a patch of brown grass, and when she blinked, there was only the slightest flare of grey eyes, only the tiniest patter of unseen feet.

[[]]

"Allen?" Lenalee asked, bending over her. "Allen?"

Allen lifted her head and looked around. She saw a sterile environment; the walls were painted white, and there was a smell of disinfectant lingering in the cold air. Her neck was aching. "Why am I in the hospital?"

"You, uh, fell." Lenalee looked worried, and her eyes were a little red at the rims. She fussed with the bedcovers. "The baby's fine, by the way."

"I'm sorry to have made you and Lavi worry." The happenings of the night before came back to her; they hit her hard.

"Apology accepted." Lenalee smiled.

"Did… did you cry?"

"I did." Lenalee's smile took on a pained undertone. "But don't worry about it. We want you to recover."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone to the casino."

"You won't anymore, right? At least, you won't go alone?"

"I won't," Allen promised.

"Thanks. Anyway, uh, Allen? Do you mind moving into another house?"

"Yours?"

"Well, no. we… we want you to move in with Kanda."

"Okay. Wait." Allen looked up. "Did you just say _Kanda_?"

"Yeah, I did. Please? If not for us, then for the sake of the child?"

"Why? It's not like he'll be a great help. In fact, his obnoxious ways might even cause me to undergo a premature birth."

"His house is near ours," Lenalee said, "and it's big. You don't have to see Kanda except at mealtimes. He can cook, you know. And – we'll pay for your lodging there, no worries."

"But – "

"Please, Allen?" Lenalee begged.

"Fine." Allen looked upset but refrained from arguing. "Anyway, how did you know I was here?"

"Dr Bak called us. He recognised you."

"Do you know who brought me here?"

"Your friend did. You know, Tyki Mikk." Lenalee looked uncomfortable.

"Oh. Tyki." Allen nodded.

"Tyki Mikk is an undesirable character," Lenalee muttered. "He has a hand in all the vices."

"He's a nice guy…"

"Perhaps," Lenalee grudgingly agreed.

"Where's Lavi, then?"

"He's outside making a call to Kanda." Lenalee patted the sheets. "Rest well, Allen. I'll go grab a cup of coffee now."

Lenalee left the room after making sure Allen was comfortable. She sat down beside Lavi. "So, have you called Kanda?"

"No." Lavi grimaced. "I've been running over the arguments in my head."

"You sound like a lawyer."

"I am a lawyer, darlin'."

"And?"

"I'm about to call our friend. He's going to browbeat me until I retract our request, that's for sure."

"Just do it."

"Remember that I leave you everything. It's in my will. And avenge me, please."

"Lavi, do it now or I will personally see to it that you suffer."

"Fine." Lavi pouted. He pressed the dial button and held his iphone to his ear. "Yu?"

"What is it."

"You sound _so_ excited to hear from me. Anyway, I have a job for you!"

"I don't need a job."

"Oh yes you do!"

"I have a damned job, you idiot. I have a store, remember?" Kanda said suspiciously. "Are you drunk?"

"I'm sober. Uh, well, it's like this. You know how Lenalee is… she wants you to uh, well, shewantsyoutotakeallenin?"

"The hell? I can't hear you, you incoherent fool!"

"I said – "

"Kanda?" Lenalee snatched the phone from Lavi.

"Lenalee? Finally a sane mind."

"Well, it's like that – Allen fell down."

"Good riddance."

"Don't be mean. Anyway, we need you to look after her."

"…"

"You still there?"

"The hell I will."

"You will. Because if you don't, I'm telling Komui that you uh, let me see, that you assaulted me."

Kanda exhaled. "Che. Fine. What do I have to do?"

"Just let her live in your house. You'll only have to meet her during meals."

"Doesn't she have her own damned apartment?"

"Yeah, but she needs to be looked after."

"Send her to a hospice."

"Kanda, hospices are for those who are terminally ill. Allen is not terminally ill."

"Why can't you bring her home?"

"Because our flat isn't big enough," Lenalee answered patiently.

"The Moyashi eats a lot."

"We'll pay for her food."

"I don't want to see her stupid face."

"That's not an excuse."

"Tell her to smile less and to be less annoying. You're manipulative, by the way."

"Thanks for agreeing, Kanda. You're our saviour. Good night!" Lenalee hastily ended the call. She turned to Lavi. "See? It's easy enough."

"That's because it's you," Lavi grumbled.

"Uh huh. I'm just very, very competent." Lenalee flashed her spouse a dazzling grin.

Lavi nodded and snaked his arms around Lenalee's waist. "I think so too."

[[]]

Tyki and Rhode visited Allen the next day. Tyki placed a big bouquet of tulips at the side table, and Rhode fussed over Allen.

Tyki put the flowers into a vase. "Allen, the twins send their love. Or was it their condolences?"

"Love, you idot."

"Don't you know what condolences means, Tyki?" Rhode asked, tilting her head to the side.

Allen laughed, then frowned. "Do you know – I'm going to move to Kanda Yu's house."

"What-o." Tyki leaned forward. "Why? Are you two attached already?"

"Yeah! What about Link?" Rhode questioned.

"No, it's not like that. The Bookmans want me to move in. They think my apartment if unsuitable for a pregnant woman."

"If you need any help," Tyki said, his golden eyes bright, "just call us."

"Don't get bullied by Kanda," Rhode warned.

"Don't finish all his food, either." Tyki wagged his finger. "Or that bad-tempered man might just throw you out."

"But, don't worry, Allen! If Kanda throws you out you can always come to our mansion!" Rhode clasped her hands and beamed at Allen.

"Yeah, you could do that," Tyki said. "Then you could see us every day." He winked.

[[]]

Lavi guided Allen as she walked down the pathway toward Kanda's front door. She had been hospitalised for two days, just in case complications developed, and then Lavi immediately took her to Kanda's abode.

Allen had wanted to return to her apartment to pick her belongings up, but Lavi said that Lenalee had already seen to that. Once they reached the door, it was wrenched open, and Kanda grunted at them. Allen nodded curtly – she was a lady, after all – and then Lavi helped her up the stairs to her new bedroom. It was across the landing from Kanda's but each had its own private bathroom, so there were no conflicts there.

Not that Allen wanted to see Kanda naked, anyway.

With a flourish, Lavi threw open the door to Allen's new bedroom and motioned for her to step inside. She gasped. Arranged impeccably on the dresser were her personal items; within the closet hung the clothes she possessed, all neatly arranged.

"Wow."

"Yeah, Lenalee's great at packing and unpacking," Lavi agreed.

"No, I meant – thank you."

"No problem, man." Lavi frowned as his iphone beeped. "Uh, Allen? I gotta go. Urgent case, gotta run. Yu'll look after you, okay?"

"Sure." Allen's heart sank a little, but she nodded brightly. "I'll just go down and say thank you to Kanda for letting me stay here."

"You do that," Lavi said, and then raced down the stairs to head back to his office.

Allen descended slowly, watching every step. She saw Kanda in the kitchen and proceeded there. He turned at her approach, and almost flinched.

"Thank you for having me here."

Kanda stared. He disliked the woman, but there was something to her that made her somewhat unearthly. Maybe it was the fact that hers had been a life of hardship – almost like his younger days before Tiedoll took him in. This girl smiled through her troubles; that was what made him detest her in the first place. He disliked hypocrisy, and she was a prime example of it. But maybe she was really a victim of circumstances and her own cheerful nature after all. He recognised in her a desire to be independent, much like himself.

The day before, Lenalee had dragged him with her to the Moyashi's apartment. The place was a mess, a pigsty, even; he had no idea how a human had managed to exist under such dire conditions. The paint was peeling and he could see the cracks in the walls. Those hairline cracks snaked shamelessly across the ceilings and the walls, and the windowpanes were frosted over with dust and cobwebs and perhaps even grime that was decades old. The apartment was on the fourth story, but he couldn't even see the cars on the road because the windows were that fogged up.

The light bulbs were not working, and mice scurried in the kitchen. When Lenalee opened Allen's closet she screamed because she saw a lizard weaving its way around the back. He prodded at it with a fork from Allen's kitchen, which was also in a mess. Her mug was chipped and her plates were cracked, and even her sink was leaky.

The smell of unwashed bed sheets and stale linen pervaded the place, and the grey walls did nothing to lift the already poor atmosphere of the place.

Her bed was unmade, and to be honest, he wondered how long it had been since she'd slept in a proper bed. Her bed was merely an old divan redecorated to look like a bed, and he'd glanced with distaste at the painting on the wall. The same painting was hanging in his guest room right now, because Lenalee thought the brat might be more comfortable with it.

He supposed he could extend a little help to someone in the Moyashi's condition – after all, he was awesome that way. And it had pleased him to see Lavi's gaping expression upon hearing that he would let the Moyashi sleep and live in his best guest room, instead of the tiny room off the attic. Anything that got Lavi flustered and surprised, preferably both, was open to him. After all, there was nothing quite like getting back at Lavi. Something like that.

So Kanda nodded when Allen mumbled her thanks. He could be nice.

[[]]

Allen rolled over, unwilling to open her eyes even though her face was warm. In fact, the rest of her was warm, and the covers were soft. Allen kicked at the soft wrappings and then opened her eyes blearily. It was morning, and sunlight streamed in.

And then she gasped. It was almost noon, and here she was, awake, but just barely. The heavens must hate her. Half of her day's income had just flowed away. With a sigh, Allen swung her feet to the parquet floor, wincing slightly as the cold pricked her toes. She hurried to the bathroom and cleaned up before heading to the kitchen.

Kanda was not in the kitchen. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen. Allen even knocked on Kanda's bedroom door to check, but there was no response. He had gone off for the morning without so much as attempting to wake Allen. _The jerk!_ Allen thought.

Grumbling to herself, Allen started her walk to the mall, kicking at the pebbles in Kanda's garden. She stubbed her toe on his gate, and continued to grumble throughout her journey. Once she reached, she headed straight for the cafeteria.

She got her coffee and her big breakfast from Jerry, heading over to Rhode's table immediately after. Midway through her walk, she saw Kanda smirking at her, and she snapped and flipped her finger at him.

"What was that for?" Rhode asked when Allen finally reached the table in question.

"He was being aggravating."

"I've never seen you do that before," Rhode mused. "Have you, Tyki?"

"Have I what?" Tyki asked, looking up from his newspaper. "Hello there, Allen. I thought you weren't coming today."

"Have you seen Allen flip her finger before?" Rhode asked.

"No."

"See?"

"He's annoying," Allen replied, munching hungrily on her bacon. "He didn't wake me and left for work himself. Hmph."

Rhode laughed and smirked at Allen. Tyki retreated back into his paper, unwilling to enter the potentially dangerous conversation.

[[]]

The next two weeks passed rapidly. Kanda would cook the meals, and then Allen would saunter into the kitchen and eat and help to wash up. That, however, was as far as their interaction went. They traded jibes and insults whenever they passed each other, whether in Kanda's home or at the mall. Lenalee found out about it and talked to Allen in Judgement, asking her to try and curtail that habit of hers because she was afraid the baby might grow up with a mouth as foul as Kanda's.

Allen agreed to pacify her friend. Therefore the bickering ceased for a whole week.

By the fourth week, they started arguing again, such was the flux of their relationship and strange friendship. Kanda vehemently denied that they were acquaintances, much less friends, seeing Allen as a renter who took up space in his house. He might even have seen her as a piece of furniture.

Then, a month after Allen moved into Kanda's house, there was a power outage.

It happened on a Friday. That day, Allen returned home far earlier than Kanda, because she was tired and wanted to rest. She made dinner for both of them, eating her share within a few minutes and then, still hungry, ate Kanda's share. Then she sat herself before the television and watched the news until she was lulled to sleep by the newscaster's drone.

She woke up an hour later to find herself in darkness. She paused slightly, before panic filled her lungs, a cold dread crawling up her skin and settling in her hair. She shivered as the cool night breeze filtered through the windows – she could see the headlamps of cars breaking through the inky darkness. Other than that, though, she saw nothing else.

She could have gotten through the ordeal just fine if it were her own apartment and if she knew where the candles and matches were kept. Unfortunately, Kanda had never told her where he kept such sundry items, and Allen clutched at the arms of her chair, frozen in space. After some time, she almost suppressed the memories threatening to rear up in her mind, and walked over to the opposite wall to flick on the switch.

Nothing. There was no light spilling out of the lamp above her head. Dark memories from before seeped into her consciousness, and she crumbled to the ground as her fears took hold of her, remaining crouched on the floor until she heard movement beyond the main door.

The door opened, though Allen didn't move. She was still stuck in limbo between reality and the world inhabited by her nightmares, where bogeymen and witches crawled from dark wells, and infantine cries echoed throughout the dark wastelands.

At the door, Kanda was not surprised to see the entire house in darkness. His neighbour had shouted at him from the porch that the whole neighbourhood was suffering from a power outage. What did surprise him, though, was the sobbing he heard from the front room.

He idly wondered if the Moyashi had fallen down again, before going in to check on her.

* * *

A/N: Woohoo I finished editing another chapter!

So – please tell me what you thought of this? I want to improve, and well, all suggestions, criticisms and comments are welcome.

Thanks for reading this far! I hope it isn't too confusing?

And heh, happy early Valentines!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

**Chapter Four**

* * *

_Nothing. There was no light spilling out of the lamp above her head. Dark memories from before seeped into her consciousness, and she crumbled to the ground as her fears took hold of her, remaining crouched on the floor until she heard movement beyond the main door. _

_The door opened, though Allen didn't move. She was still stuck in limbo between reality and the world inhabited by her nightmares, where bogeymen and witches crawled from dark wells, and infantine cries echoed throughout the dark wastelands. _

_At the door, Kanda was not surprised to see the entire house in darkness. His neighbour had shouted at him from the porch that the whole neighbourhood was suffering from a power outage. What did surprise him, though, was the sobbing he heard from the front room. _

_He idly wondered if the Moyashi had fallen down again, before going in to check on her. _

:::

He was careful stepping around in his living room, because he didn't really want to step on the Moyashi if he could help it. He didn't want to be charged for murder.

Following the source of the noise, he came upon Allen lying in a muddled heap on the floor.

"Oi," he said, prodding at her with his foot.

He sensed her shivering, but she did not reply. He sighed and squatted down and pulled her upright, feeling the contour of her skin beneath her thin sleeves. "What's wrong with you?"

He could vaguely see her tear-stained face in the dim light from the street lamps. "Moyashi?"

Kanda shook her slightly. Still, she did not respond, choosing instead to continue sobbing. He was starting to grow worried by then. Sighing, Kanda pulled her to his feet and half-carried her over to the sofa. Sitting by her, he patted her shoulder lightly.

"Don't cry. There's nothing wrong. It's just a blackout," Kanda said. "Oi Moyashi. Did you hear me?"

More sobs came. Kanda sighed, and continued patting Allen on her shoulder. He had better things to do than sit on a sofa to comfort a woman he hardly knew.

Besides, wasn't she supposed to have a smile stocked away ready for every blow that came? He'd seen her before, smiling for the sake of smiling, smiling to make others feel at ease. So it seemed that she couldn't always keep that façade up. Was she perhaps afraid of the darkness?

He himself was not afraid of the dark. He liked the darkness and the emptiness that hovered over the world in the lightless nights. It was a time he found to be peaceful, and for one too many nights he had sat in his dark room and contemplated the lotus in the hourglass that stood on a small wooden table at the side of his room.

The sobs seemed to have tired Allen out, though, because, before long, Allen ceased sobbing, instead drawing in ragged breaths that cut through the silence in the house. At once, Kanda removed his fingers from Allen's shoulders and sighed loudly.

There was no response, though – Allen was in an almost catatonic state.

"You're afraid of the dark, aren't you?" Kanda queried. He usually wasn't such an inquisitive person, but this time round, he just had to ask the question. It had been bugging him like an offshoot of Lavi ever since he walked into the house and heard the sobs.

Allen nodded; he could see her movements briefly in the almost-dark.

"Can't talk?" he asked acerbically. "Cat got your tongue?"

"No." It was a small sound, one that told how its owner was worn out.

"Care to go and sleep in your room?"

"No."

"You're scared." Kanda sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'll get you some candles."

"Thank you…"

:::

At exactly six in the morning, Kanda woke. He washed up and dressed for his morning exercise. When he came back after three jogs around the neighbourhood, he smelled the rich aroma of frying bacon and sizzling eggs emanating from his kitchen.

Curious, he stepped inside. There Allen was, all smiles and bright eyes, with his black apron wrapped around her. Kanda could see the shape of her tummy outlined by the tight curve of the apron.

"What are you doing?"

"Cooking breakfast, can't you tell?"

"I usually cook breakfast. I want soba."

"I'm cooking breakfast today, to thank you for last night. I… never expected you to try and comfort me."

"I didn't want a crying pussy to interrupt my sleep."

"If you say so, Bakanda." Allen smiled sweetly and separated her bacon and eggs onto two plates. "Try the bacon. It's really nice, if I say so myself."

Kanda frowned at the bacon. "I want soba."

"You can't eat soba three times every day. I've prepared green tea, though; you can help yourself to it."

Kanda growled but realised that he wouldn't be getting his soba. He could either take the pot and cook it for himself, or he could, for once, try to eat something else. It couldn't hurt, right? The Moyashi wouldn't poison him? He looked at her face with its sickly sweet smile and wondered if she would poison him for the fun of it.

"You don't dare to eat it?" Allen asked, her tone light.

"Dare?" Kanda repeated. Was she questioning his courage, now? Fine. So he'd eat the damned thing – he was a man after all, and men were not afraid of eating weird food. "You wish."

Kanda drew out a chair and sat down, pullingg his plate over. The eggs did smell nice, even though he was loathe to admit it. He speared a piece of bacon and bit into it.

"It's nice, right?" Allen beamed.

"So-so," he conceded. "I still prefer soba."

Allen rolled her eyes, though later, when she recounted the scene to Lenalee, the latter told her that for Kanda, that was akin to an 'excellent' comment. "I'll cook soba for dinner, then."

"_You_ can cook soba?" Kanda asked incredulously.

_So what happened? _Lenalee asked the next day. Allen told her, _I cooked soba_.

"How's the soba?" Allen asked at dinnertime.

Kanda picked at the noodles with his chopsticks, tasting it. "Not bad, I suppose, for a Moyashi like you."

"Uh huh. Keep telling yourself that."

Kanda's eyes were again drawn to the growing bulge of Allen's abdomen, swollen with a child that was not hers. He grunted in response.

Later, Lavi would say that that was when Kanda and Allen first became soul mates. They didn't know it, then, of course, as they sat at the dining table eating soba that day.

:::

A week later, they'd settled into a comfortable routine. Kanda would make breakfast, because he was a morning person, and he insisted on brewing green tea for the breakfast beverage. He told Allen that if she didn't like green tea, she could make her own coffee. Allen didn't like instant coffee, so she resigned herself to the bland taste of green tea. Quite frankly, it calmed her morning sickness. Meanwhile, Allen made dinner. She would close her shop at five-thirty exactly and head back to the house, and dinner would be ready by seven in the evening.

Nowadays, Kanda got more variety in his meals, because Allen would whip up some side dishes in addition to the main soba dish. He didn't say anything about it, but Lenalee told Allen that Kanda didn't mind; in fact, he liked the variety.

Allen made her way after lunch to the second level of the mall, where she knew Kanda's shop was. She had never visited it before, but today she was determined to make its acquaintance. She paused at a store that held nothing but an hourglass containing a lotus in the shop window. This had to be it – it was Kanda's store, Mugen. She had no idea what he sold, but she would know once she stepped into the place.

Inside the shop, the lighting was dim, and tables displaying the wares stood on pieces of bamboo matting. Allen gaped; she was surprised by the graceful design. It was not something she had expected of Kanda, with his rough words and monosyllabic manner of talking.

"You should close your mouth or the flies will get into it." He sounded amused.

Allen whipped round as fast as a pregnant woman could. "That's not a nice thing to say," she rebuked. "What do you sell, exactly?"

"Can't you tell?" Kanda mocked, his brows straight.

"Obviously not. So do tell, Mister Mugen."

"Che."

"Yu sells Japanese imports, I think. I don't really know, though. He might be doing illegal side-businesses for all we know," Lavi said, walking into the store. "I was passing by and saw you two."

Kanda glared at him but did not bother to chastise the other for calling him by his first name. "Hmph."

"So when are you two getting married?" the irrepressible Lavi asked.

"What?" Allen sputtered. Kanda glared at Lavi again.

"I mean, you two are living together… didn't no one tell you that a man and a woman should not cohabitate?" Lavi asked innocently. "Aww, Yu, look. Now Allen's with child. What do you have to say for yourself, hmm?"

"You idiot!" Kanda shouted.

"Lavi," Allen growled, "this is _your _child. Oops. That came out wrong." She scratched her head sheepishly.

"You betcha." Lavi nodded, laughing. "You two are so funny."

"Shut up, you idiot," Kanda fumed. "I have a sword here. I could skewer you."

"Lenalee wouldn't like that," Lavi said, waving his hands in Kanda's face.

"Enough bickering, you two," Allen laughed. "So, Kanda, fancy anything tonight?"

"Oh, that sounds wrong," Lavi teased. "So is Allen conducting her wifely duties the right way, Yu?"

"Baka Usagi –"

"Okay, I get it, I totally get it. Chill, man." Lavi backed away from Kanda and his glowering eyes. "Uh, bye Allen-chan, I'll be going to find Panda, then."

Allen watched Lavi leave the place, bemused. "Did you have to do that?"

"Feel sorry for him?" Kanda's upper lip curled slightly.

"A little. Now back to business. What do you want for dinner? If there's nothing specific I'll just pick up some random food at the market later."

"I don't want cucumber."

"Fussy, aren't we? Fine. Anyone would think you're the pregnant one. I wonder if you'll ever mention what you want, instead of what you don't want."

"Che."

"Fine, be that way." Allen moved slowly toward the door, her feet sinking into the smooth carpet.

"I want… I want tomatoes," Kanda said hesitantly. "Nice, red tomatoes."

"That's nice," Allen agreed, looking back, biting back a smile. "I'll be sure to get some."

Kanda watched the Moyashi walk away, her hands on her ballooning stomach. There was something to be said about her – she could cook well. He still didn't like how she smiled so much every day, as if gold were falling into her tiny lap, but she could do a mean soba. He found that slightly endearing. That didn't mean he liked her though: he just disliked her less.

:::

That night, Kanda went home expectantly, wanting to eat his tomatoes. The lights were mostly switched on in his house, and he found he liked the effect. There was something really cosy about knowing that there was a warm dinner in the house, and someone to eat with – for too long, he'd had meals with dust and silence around him, occasionally joined by Lenalee and the very unawesome Lavi. Not that he'd ever admit it, of course, he was a man and therefore he had to behave like one. Kanda Yu was not a pussy, after all. He was a fine specimen of the male species.

He vaguely wondered if he'd feel sad when Allen moved out after the birth, but pushed the thought out of his mind, because he definitely wouldn't.

"You're home, Bakanda!" Allen beamed from the kitchen door, still wearing his apron. "I bought tomatoes!"

Kanda frowned and mumbled something inaudible.

"What was that?"

"Che."

"Dinner's ready, just so you know. You could come in and eat it, or you can stand there like an idiot and smell it."

"Fine." Kanda eased himself out of his coat, hanging it up in the hallway. He walked into the kitchen. "Hmm."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"I didn't say anything."

"I know. So I'm assuming you're complimenting it in your head."

"You're crazy."

"Glad you know," Allen laughed.

"Lenalee said pregnant women have mood swings," Kanda noted. "Sounds like you."

"Just eat, will you?"

Kanda pulled his bowl towards himself, trying out the tomato dish.

"Nice?"

"Edible."

"Would it kill you to be multisyllabic?"

"Maybe."

"Fine," Allen said airily and waved her hand in the air, almost knocking the pepper over. "Fine."

"Aren't you eating?"

"I'm already done."

Kanda looked at Allen's bowl – she'd already finished her soba and her share of the side dishes in the time it had taken him to finish half a bowl. That was saying something, because Allen's share far exceeded Kanda's. "You're weird, you know that?"

"I could say the same to you," Allen retorted. "But I won't, because I'm a nice person."

Kanda stacked the plates up. "I suppose Lenalee would kill me for making you wash the dishes."

"You supposed right."

"I knew it."

:::

Two days later, Allen lounged in Noah enterprises.

"Aren't we rich!" Tyki said as he passed by Rhode's office and spied Allen inside. "I see you have become a lady of leisure. Do you ever work?"

"Of course. I'm poor." Allen leaned back in her chair and smiled.

"Why do I see you hanging around here so often, then? You seem not to be running your shop at all."

"I wanted to talk to Rhode!" Allen said defensively, wringing her hands. "Trying to stop me?"

"No," Tyki said. "Unlike you, I have to work."

He chuckled and left.

"So…" Rhode said, "really, why are you here?"

"I felt bored. And I decided to close early today."

"Why not go home?"

"I'm waiting for Kanda to end."

"You sound like an old married couple." Rhode pouted. "Boring."

"You're not busy, anyway!"

"No, I'm not."

"How are the dreams coming along?"

"They're progressing. The download process is almost complete –"

"Stop!" Allen said. "I don't really want to know the technical stuff, you know? Not my cup of tea. My Uncle Neah used to go on about such stuff too."

"You don't even like selling wine…" Rhode said. "Do you even drink?"

"No." Allen shrugged. "Teetotaller. It brings in the money, though. That's good enough for me." She smiled.

They talked for a while more, before Allen got up and left, steadying herself with a hand on the wall. She said goodbye and headed off.

:::

"Hey, Kanda?" Allen asked, popping her head into _Mugen_.

"What do you want." It was a statement, not a question.

"I don't feel like cooking tonight."

"So you want me to cook?"

"You don't seem too happy about it."

"Intelligent."

"Fine. Shall we just eat out, then?"

"I'm not paying for you."

"Yes ma'am. Stingy."

"Che." Kanda glared at her across his cashiering machine.

"Good. Give me a call when you close, okay? I've wound the shutters down – I'm just going to go over to talk to Noise and Miranda."

"Go away."

Allen beamed at Kanda and walked off. It was getting harder to walk these days – the leaden weight of her tummy sapped her strength. She slowly made her way down the walkway till she reached _Time Record_, Miranda's haven.

"Hello Miranda!" Allen called.

"Allen!" Miranda cried effusively. "How nice to see you!"

"Been some time!"

"I've missed you. How's the baby?"

"It's fine. Kicking and all that – healthy, I hope. I came over to reply your invitation."

"Oh, that…" Miranda said, pouring Allen a cup of tea.

Allen took the tea graciously. "I like Earl Grey. Thanks! I forgot to congratulate you, Miranda. I wish you the best, and may you be blessed with many happy years ahead!"

"T-thank you," Miranda stuttered. Behind her, the clocks hanging on the walls and the watches in the bright display cases ticked solemnly.

"Noise is a nice guy," Allen observed. "I'm sure you'll be happy with him."

"I think so too," Miranda said blissfully. Then her face fell. "What if I'm not good enough for him? What if he finds me to stupid? What if he hates my cooking? What if he thinks I'm a bad housekeeper?"

"Miranda, get a hold on yourself. Noise wouldn't have proposed if he didn't love you, you know."

"That's true," Miranda said, almost hyperventilating. "Do you really think so?"

"Uh huh," Allen encouraged her friend. "But why the hurry to hold the wedding? Would you have time to prepare for it in two weeks?"

"We want to get it done as soon as possible. Neither of us has a living parent, anyway – Noise only has to account to his foster father."

"I see," Allen nodded thoughtfully. Her fingers slid around the smooth surface of the porcelain cup; she watched the murky brown tea swirl within the white receptacle.

"When is Link coming back?"

"I don't know. I stopped talking to him a while ago… I haven't replied his emails and his messages much nowadays. I want out, really, but…"

"You poor girl," Miranda fussed.

"Moyashi."

Allen and Miranda turned toward the doorway: there Kanda Yu stood, tall and imposing, impatience lurking in his dark eyes.

"I told you not to call me that."

Kanda ignored Allen. "Let's just go."

"He's such a jerk," Allen told Miranda, but she left with said jerk, anyway.

Allen hastened after Kanda, who slowed his steps down once he heard Allen chasing after him. "Where are we eating?"

"Stop questioning."

"But I'm hungry," Allen said plaintively. "If you starve me Lenalee and Lavi won't be happy."

"We'll get food soon."

"But –"

"Do me a favour – just get in the car and shut up."

"Fine, Bakanda."

[[]]

Allen looked at the plates before her with great relish. "I like this place!" she whispered enthusiastically.

"Just eat."

Allen hungrily devoured the entrees and the appetisers and the soup, before turning to the two main courses she had ordered. "This is heavenly!"

"I'm sure."

"It is really good," Allen insisted. "You aren't eating soba today!"

"Oh, you just noticed?" Kanda said sarcastically. "Can't I eat something different once in a while?"

"I thought you only ever ate soba."

"You thought wrong, then."

Silence fell then as Allen and Kanda worked on their respective main courses. They only spoke again after Allen finished her dessert.

Sipping at her hot chocolate, Allen looked toward Kanda, watching him drink his green tea. "Do you want children, Kanda?"

"Why?"

"Curious, I guess."

"Maybe. Someday. If I meet a girl I like."

"I can't imagine you as a father." Allen sniggered. "That's just weird."

"Hey," Kanda said, a little hurt. "I don't doubt I'll be a great father someday."

"Sure."

"Do you want to have kids?"

"Me?" Allen laughed, shifting in her chair. "Someday, yes. I've always wanted children. But… things change sometimes. Circumstances aren't always right and… oh look, I'm blabbering again. Don't mind me."

"Are you taking up surrogacy for money?"

"In a way, yes. Cross left so many debts behind. In fact, I haven't paid all of them off yet. And that man's probably still racking up new debts wherever he is now. I've always been cash-strapped." Allen grimaced and took another gulp of chocolate.

"He's a bastard."

"Well, yeah, I suppose he is."

"You suppose," Kanda snorted.

"I do suppose. He looked after me, after all."

"Che."

"You don't seem to care much for Tiedoll."

"He's not related to me."

"He brought you up. And he's a nice guy."

"You only say that because he offered to buy you a house and pay off Cross Marian's debts."

"No. He's nice. You should appreciate him."

"Whatever, Moyashi. Stop lecturing me. Stop being so optimistic about everything." Kanda stared. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"You haven't finished answering my question."

"What, the money one?"

Kanda nodded.

"I suppose… it's not only the money." Allen leaned back; Kanda could only see the vague outlines of her features, the shadows creeping across her sunken cheeks. There seemed to be dark circles under her eyes.

"No?"

"No. No. I wanted to… I wanted to atone."

"For what?"

"For my sins. Yes, that's right. I want to atone for my sins." Allen bowed her head, and Kanda felt sorry for her.

"Lets's go home." Kanda stood up and offered Allen his hand so that she could extract herself and her big belly from the chair.

* * *

A/N: I don't know – I personally don't like this chapter. It seems rather choppy to me. What do you think?

Thanks for reading, and all reviews are much appreciated! All reviews, I must add, are welcome. Criticism and suggestions alike (:


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

* * *

The next day, the autumn wind whistled around the corners of buildings, shaking umbrellas inside out and threatening to chill the red leaves off branches.

These days, Kanda had taken to passing Judgement every noon break just to check on Allen. He didn't know why – he supposed he felt a certain kinship with her. It was scarcely believable, but he thought that maybe they were on their way to becoming friends. Not that he would tell Lavi that, of course.

He came across Allen shuttering her shop. Somewhat curious, he approached the white-haired girl and stood behind her. "What are you doing?"

Allen jumped slightly. "You scared me, you jerk. What does it look like I'm doing to you?"

"It looks like you're being lazy?"

"You idiot. Obviously – but then again I forgot that your brain's the size of a mouldy walnut – I am closing up for the day."

"I knew that," Kanda snorted. "I was asking you why you were doing that."

Allen let the shutters fall to the ground with a bang, before trying to crouch to fiddle with the lock. Kanda sighed and bent down, snatching the key from Allen's fumbling and almost swollen fingers.

"You're too fat to do that."

"I am not bloody fat!" Allen half-cried, insulted.

"Look at your belly – you say you're not fat?" Kanda smirked and handed back the key. "Maybe you need a new mirror."

"Jerk." Allen glared at him before walking away abruptly.

"Where're you going?" he called.

"Oh, does it concern you?" Allen turned back, laughter dancing in her eyes. "Are you actually _concerned_ for me?"

"No!" Kanda sputtered. "I – I was just wondering if I need to cook your share of dinner!"

"I'm going to Martel Square," Allen offered. "I'm going to spend the rest of this glorious afternoon just relaxing. It's good for the baby."

"You made that up."

"No, I didn't. Want to come with me?"

"No."

"Please?" Allen begged. "I don't want to be alone."

"No."

"Please?"

"No. I have a living to make."

"Oh, how much would you lose out from closing for an afternoon?"

"…"

"Do you want me to get down on my knees and beg?"

"Lenalee would kill me if I let you do that."

"She would. So let's cut this short and go."

"No."

"I'm going to kneel now."

"No." Kanda turned and made off to walk away.

"Bakanda!" Allen shrieked.

"What!" He spun around again. To his extreme shock, Allen was on her knees, her belly protruding out awkwardly as she tried to steady herself using her hands. "The hell? Are you freaking crazy?"

"Maybe I am," Allen said weakly. She waved her hands at him. "Hello? Some help here?"

"Che." He reached over and helped her up. "You must be crazy. You are crazy."

"Uh huh."

"You're pregnant."

"I know."

"Fine. Fine. I'll go."

Allen beamed in response.

:::

Kanda sat in a little cafeteria in Martel Square, watching as Allen bantered with the proprietor. The man wore a mask, for some reason, although it wasn't Halloween yet. Allen had introduced the man earlier, though god forbid that he, Kanda, should find it necessary to remember his name.

"That'll be all," Allen smiled, ending the long conversation. She turned to Kanda. "Guzol makes a mean sandwich, you know."

"Che."

"Don't you like this place? I love to come here in the autumn. I come here and order tea and sandwiches and just sit and watch the red leaves fall to the ground. When I get bored of that I watch the people who come in."

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

"I like this place. The temperature is nice, the food is good, and the atmosphere is lovely. These seats are gems. They're so soft!" Allen leaned back contentedly as if to emphasize the point. Unfortunately, being heavily pregnant, she looked comical trying to appear relaxed. Kanda couldn't help sniggering a little, and Allen glared at him.

When he recovered from his laughing fit, Kanda looked up to see a pretty waitress with hair the colour of corn serving the food.

Allen introduced her. "This is Lala, Guzol's wife!"

Kanda grunted in response.

"You're antisocial," Allen said. "Aren't you?"

"At least I'm not a hypocrite."

"Are you saying I'm a hypocrite?" Allen sipped at her tea. "Try the tea. It's nice."

"It's not green tea," Kanda sniffed. But he tried it anyway, grimacing slightly as the tea rolled on his tongue. "And yes – you are a hypocrite. Don't you think so?"

"No." Allen's grey eyes narrowed. "Exactly how am I hypocritical?"

Kanda sighed and brought his cup to his mouth again. "Look – you're always smiling and telling people to cheer up when they are down."

"I don't!"

"Don't deny it. I've heard you say that often; just yesterday I heard you encourage the little Noah brat."

"When?"

"At night. You were on the phone with her, remember? I was there trying to meditate."

"Oh, so you were eavesdropping?"

"I," Kanda said with great dignity, "do not eavesdrop. But yes, you were being a hypocrite."

"I was being a _friend_! Rhode wanted some encouragement and I gave it to her! Though you mightn't understand what that means, of course."

Kanda ignored the insult to his person. "You see? You say one thing and do another. You tell others to cheer up, to be optimistic, but I know that you're writhing inside."

"What makes you say that?" Allen's voice was calm, and she speared a piece of mango cake on her fork. It stopped midway to her mouth. "Do you think I'm depressed?"

"You're not depressed," Kanda scoffed. "You're suffering."

Allen looked deliberately at her cake, her large sea-grey eyes cast downwards away from Kanda's unflinching gaze. "Maybe that's true…"

"Of course it is."

"I mean yes, well, maybe. How would you know anyway? Do I talk in my sleep? Do you spy on me while I sleep?" Allen sounded almost amused, but there was a tinge of grief coating her tone. She finally put the cake into her mouth, chewing slowly on it.

Kanda watched her, feeling a little sorry for the girl.

Allen finished her cake in silence.

After the food was gone, they stood up, and Allen tossed a bill on the table. She waved at Lala as they exited, calling out a goodbye.

Outside, as they strode down the pavement of Martel Square, Allen turned to Kanda. "Thank you for accompanying me."

"Che. You begged me to."

"I did. But you didn't have to come." Allen smiled, and Kanda looked impassively at the glow of her face under the weak sunlight.

"You may think I'm heartless, but Lenalee and Baka Usagi deserve a child."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Allen asked. "And goodness, you actually have a heart!"

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you."

"Of course it doesn't, because Kanda Yu is the only one allowed to use sarcasm?"

Kanda came out with another glare from that famed repertoire of his, and Allen laughed. They sat down on a bench just beyond the Square, and Allen took out a bunch of breadcrumbs from within her bag, tossing the crumbs out to the black-feathered birds that dotted the lanes.

"You know," Allen said, "Mana used to bring me to places like this. I never came here, before, though. We didn't have the money to."

"Mana?"

"He was my foster father at one point in time. He took me in when my parents rejected me. I suppose they thought I was an abomination with my white hair and my scar."

"Most people would think that."

"You jerk!" Allen fixed an empty glare on Kanda. "I guess that's true, though it's hurtful. Anyway, I was happy with him. He was always kind and generous, and he loved me. At least, I like to think that he loved me."

"So he didn't love you?"

"Trust you to say the most unpleasant things," Allen groaned. "I don't know. He died in a car crash. I was homeless for a while, drifting around, and then a man picked me up."

"Cross Marian?"

"Yeah, him all right. He sent me to school and made me work for him and pay his debts. Last year I came over here to work with him, and we used the money I won from poker games to open a branch of Judgement here."

"There's another branch?"

"Yeah, the flagship's up north. Anita takes care of it. She's Cross' girlfriend. If it weren't for her, I would have walked out long ago and stopped paying the debts. She saved me, I suppose.

"I found out that Mana mightn't have loved me a year ago. Around this time, actually. Cross let slip that he used to know Mana long ago. He was drunk that night, and he spilled the beans. He said Mana adopted me only because I reminded him of his brother Neah. I don't know, I never saw the man."

"Che."

"I saw your previous apartment…"

"That was just brilliant, wasn't it? Cobwebs and shadows." Allen spread her pale hands on her lap and watched as the sunlight that filtered through the overhead leaves danced on her palms.

"It was damned unliveable."

Allen smiled and shrugged lightly. "What can I say? Life's like that."

"That's the martyr smile again," Kanda observed. "Hypocrite."

"Hey!"

"You're pregnant. Start shouting again and the baby will be ugly."

"You jerk – you're cursing the child?" Allen swatted at Kanda. "This baby will hate you."

"No, it won't." Kanda smirked. "Not that I care if it does."

"You're hopeless."

:::

"You know, Allen," Rhode said, sucking on her lollipop as she propped her little feet up on her untidy desk, "Kanda and you are getting kinda suspicious."

"Eh?"

"You two are always stuck together. Even Jasdero noticed it, and you know how dense he is. I mean, yesterday he and Debitto saw the two of you down at Martel."

"We were just having a chat!"

"Don't get so defensive, Allen!" Rhode laughed. She swept a pile of paper off her desk. They landed with a soft plop on the carpeted floor of Noah Enterprises. "But it's true, you know. You eat with us, what, once a week? Most of the time you eat with Lavi and Lenalee and Kanda."

"I do?"

"Yes. Are you tired of us?" Rhode's caramel eyes glinted slightly.

Allen shivered and looked up. "No. Maybe it's because you don't seem to want to accept me that much anymore?"

"What do you mean by that, Allen?" Rhode asked. She took her lollipop out of her mouth.

"I see you and Tyki having fun with Lulu Bell and Skin and Wisely and goodness knows who else."

"Oh, is it a sin to stick with family, Allen?" Rhode asked. "And aren't you our friend?"

Allen sighed and ran a gloved hand through her hair. "Can we drop this, please?"

"Maybe." Rhode tilted her head and peered at Allen with unblinking eyes. "You've changed."

"Have I?" Allen asked. "And how's your research?"

"It's coming along just fine." Rhode said. "Maybe you should go now, Allen. I'm not in the mood to talk now."

Allen left Noah Enterprises without speaking to Tyki. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that good friends could doubt one to that extent.

She went back to Judgement, wishing to return to a less complicated state of affairs. Meanwhile, she knew, she had a whole stack of unopened letters from Link. Tonight she would have to settle down and scare up a few words or paragraphs to send to him.

The day seemed to stretch on unbelievably, abut still Allen kept her smile on as the customers flowed into her store.

_How true_, she thought. _Kanda read me right_.

:::

A week later, it was Halloween. Children ran up and down the streets, excitedly showing off the masks and costumes they had bought, and parents and adults milled through the shopping malls, buying candies in bulk.

They were home early on All Hallows Eve. With Kanda sulking in the background, Allen decorated the front of the house with candles and white sheets, draping masks from the bushes and placing a jack-o'-lantern at the gate.

"Lenalee and Bookman are dressed up and distributing goodies, you know," Allen admonished when Kanda protested. "We're at home."

"It's my house."

"Sure, but I'm living here now, and it's Halloween." Allen sighed. "Didn't you do this as a boy?"

"No," Kanda said stiffly and crossed his arms.

"Oh, poor deprived you."

"Che."

"That's the right attitude to take. Now leave me alone till I get the decorations done."

Kanda did care for his friends, and he didn't want to induce an early labour on Allen's part, so he kept to the back, growling and muttering to himself.

"The kids are coming," Allen announced, watching the window after the decorations were up. "They look so cute!"

"Che. The little brats have more than enough food. Why do we need to give them sweets?"

"Because it's a tradition."

"The little shits don't deserve it. Their parents have been buying out all my stock of imported sweets."

"Are you jealous, then? Did you want to eat the sweets?"

"No. I don't like sweet things. They're such brats, as are you."

"Remind me again why I am your friend."

"You're not my friend."

"Sure, that's only because I'm your very good friend."

"You sound the Usagi."

"Well yeah I am carrying his child." Allen got up and shifted toward the door.

"I can do that," Kanda said.

"You'll scare the children off," Allen replied, before wrenching open the front door.

A child in a demon's get up stood at the door, basket in hand. "Trick or treat?"

"Treat," Allen smiled, and handed the child a healthy handful of sweets. "Enjoy them!"

"Thanks, Mrs Kanda!" the child cried and ran off.

"She's not Mrs Kanda!" Kanda roared, his voice chasing after the child.

"Of course I'm not. I wouldn't want to be married to a prick like you."

Kanda glowered and almost threw the bowl of sweets on the floor. "Hmph."

"You really are a pain in the ass," Allen said. "You could rival Link."

"Who's Link?" Kanda asked, still glowering.

"My boyfriend who is MIA currently. He'll be back sooner than I like it and he'll ask me who I've been sleeping around with to get this big."

"Oh, you poor thing," Kanda said sarcastically.

"I'll tell him you've been with me," Allen said cheerfully. "Then you two could fight to the death and my life would be rid of you two annoying idiots."

"I wouldn't fight with another man over _you_."

"You would, because he'd come charging at you and you'd have to fight for your life. He's as obstinate as a bull."

"Che. If you hate him, why are you still with him?"

Allen's eyes widened. "I don't hate him. Well, maybe I do. Just a little. I don't know – if I broke up with him he'd go bloody crazy and possibly get his uncle to throw me out of the building? And I don't want to hurt him. He helped me when I was trying to get over – when I was down."

"What building? Your rundown apartment?"

"No-o. The mall. His uncle is Leverrier, you know?"

"You finally make some sense."

"If you say so, Mr Kanda!"

Kanda groaned. "So is that why you're in two minds over this Link?"

"Pardon?"

"I saw the pile of unopened letters in your room. I notice that this Link writes to you very often, and I've never seen you reply him."

"He writes too frequently, about once every three days." Allen grimaced. "I write back every fortnight to show him I'm still alive. Mine are short little epistles, though. I have nothing to say to him. If he had internet access or good phone lines there he'd be calling me every day."

"You're glad he isn't'?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Che."

"Give me the sweets." Allen snatched the bowl away from Kanda and swallowed a few. "Go in. I'll stay out here waiting for the children."

Kanda nodded, but he sat down on the floor in the hall.

"Aren't you going in, then?" Allen asked, bemused.

"You're pregnant," Kanda said simply. Then he closed his eyes and began to meditate. Allen smiled, and patted her bump, and looked down the road for the next glimpse of children in masks and costumes. There was not telling with Kanda. He could be very caring sometimes, though he pretended not to be. But then again, she would correct the next child who called her Mrs Kanda. That title did not belong to her.

Anyhow, it would be a long night.

* * *

A/N: So yay, another chapter up! I have chapter 6 ready, though it needs editing. I haven't written anything beyond that though, so updates will likely be slow from now on :/

I kind of like this chapter. What did you think of it? Is Allen a little OOC – as in, is she too witty and sarcastic here? And uh I realised that I haven't given Lenalee and Lavi much space to develop yet. Oh well.

Mmm yeah okay so reviews would be nice, and criticism, suggestions, and thoughts would all be very welcome. Thanks for reading! (:


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I hereby declare that I cannot draw. Therefore I do not own anything.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Tyki sauntered into Judgement, his hands in his pockets. Allen looked up from her seat behind the counter, the sweep of her huge belly visible beyond the till. She closed her book and set it to the side, watching warily as Tyki closed the distance between them.

"Hello."

"You don't sound pleased to see me, Allen." The smell of his cologne was strong and it tickled her nose.

"Aren't you mad at me?"

"I'm not. Where did you get that idea from?" Tyki laughed and ran his hand through his messy black hair. She couldn't see his eyes because they were hidden behind thick lenses, but she would bet a dollar that they were twinkling.

With a little sigh, Allen relaxed and leaned back in her chair. "Rhode said…"

"What did little Rhode say?" Tyki asked and leaned on the counter. "You don't want to take her seriously, you know that?"

"But –"

"I have no idea what happened between the two of you. But I must tell you that she's rather annoyed with you at the moment. Don't know why."

"She says I'm neglecting you all." Allen drummed her fingers on the counter, wincing at the sharp sounds issuing from her fingertips. "I suppose she has a right to be angry."

"Ahhh. Is that so?" Tyki pulled a long, white cigarette from the pocket of his faded jeans. He twirled it slowly in his fingers before stuffing the cigarette back where it came from. "No smoking here, am I right?"

"Yes."

"Anyway, I came over for a short while, just to see if you were still alive and kicking. Haven't seen you in ages!"

"I've been neglecting you mmm. About to replace my friends," Allen deadpanned.

"Haha. I'm quite busy right now, but you can reach me anytime on my mobile. don't worry too much about Rhode and her anger and just take care, alright?"

"Thanks, Tyki. It's nice of know that you care."

"We're friends, aren't we, little Allen?" Tyki asked, smirking slightly. "And besides, your Uncle Neah was a Noah too. We can't neglect our own now, can we?"

"Sweet."

"Undoubtedly." Tyki nodded and got off the counter.

"Going off to your illegal activities?" Allen asked, smiling slightly.

"That's about right," Tyki said. "I'm a criminal, you know?"

"Sure. Thanks."

"No problem at all, friend." Tyki moved towards the door. "By the way, I enjoyed reading Wolf Hall. Glad to see you moving into the realms of fiction."

Allen smiled as Tyki left the store. It seemed a load had been lifted from her mind; she now knew that she had at least a friend who cared for her.

:::

"You know," Allen said as she helped herself to the dumplings on the table, "I met Tyki again today."

"You met that vagabond again?" Lenalee pursed her pink lips.

Kanda snorted and drank his green tea. "She has weird friends."

"Tyki's not weird," Allen said. "He's just unconventional."

"He does some pretty fraudulent things," Lavi countered. "He's dangerous."

"I know you are concerned, but he's my friend. I believe in him."

"Allen, we know he's your friend." Lenalee patted her arm gently. "But at the moment, our first priority is to keep the child safe, alright?"

"Fine," Allen said and offered a small smile as an offering of peace.

"Che."

"Kanda," Lenalee reprimanded, "hasn't living with Allen taught you anything yet?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, sipping at his tea.

"She's such nice manners. And you're like a boor sometimes, honestly."

"Lenalee's a plain-speaking lady," Lavi said by way of apology. "You don't mind, do you, Yu?"

"Shut up, you idiot. I heard you."

"Kanda," Allen rebuked.

Kanda glared at her but did not deign to respond with his usual four-lettered phrases.

"Anyway," Lenalee said, "we are all going to Miranda's wedding, right?"

"Of course!" Lavi cried.

"Che. Can we not go?"

"Miranda's pretty excited," Allen said.

"She is! I went dress-choosing with her that day. She'll look just gorgeous!"

"That'll be a sight to behold!" Lavi said enthusiastically, his green eye dancing.

Lenalee turned her mascara-laden eyes on him. She tilted her head coyly, her voice cold and sickly sweet. "Did you say something, Lavi?"

"Uh, no? No matter how beautiful Miranda will look, she'll never be as lovely as you, in my opinion."

Allen laughed and Kanda glared at his tea.

"Can you two grow up?" he asked.

"Jealous, Yu?" Lavi teased. "Allen here's single and available! Grab the chance!"

"Shut the hell up, you freak."

"Are you blushing, Yu?"

"No!" Kanda swiped his chopsticks in Lavi's direction. "Do you ever fear for your miserable life?"

"I _do_ feel the wrath," Lavi concurred and burst out laughing. Lenalee shook her head.

"Honestly, Lavi…"

"Entertaining as Lavi is," Allen said, "we have to head home now."

"You two have activities lined up?" Lenalee asked.

"Oh, do you?" Lavi added. "The romantic and scandalous kind?"

"No." Allen rolled her eyes. Kanda, meanwhile, flipped his finger at his supposed best friend and gave him the most threatening of glares.

:::

Three days later, Allen laid down her copy of Wolf Hall, tenderly stroking the soft spine of her hardcover book. She reached over for a stack of unopened letters and perched them neatly in front of her.

She shivered at the tiny, block-like handwriting on the envelope, squinting to check that it was indeed addressed to a Miss Allen Walker.

The letters were all from Howard Link, and she was loathe to open them. However, glancing at the little bedside clock, she saw that the glassy hands of the clock were pointing to indicate the awkward time of ten o'clock, which was too early for bed and too late for television. There would be nothing interesting on air at the moment which she would care to watch.

Kanda did not subscribe to the channel she liked best, and while documentaries were informative, they were also boring and could lull her to sleep.

With a muted groan Allen ripped the first envelope open and tossed it into the rubbish bin, not bothering to fold it and keep it in a secret stash as many lovers did upon receiving love letters.

Her grey eyes scanned the pages, skipping over chunks of words. Link never did have anything remotely interesting or original to say. He was always mechanical and to-the-fact, and he wasn't romantic.

They had been together for all of two years, and he had given her a clock on their first anniversary and a pie on the second. He hadn't given her roses on Valentine's Day either, nor did he like to take her out to dinner at fancy restaurants. Mostly, he dropped by Judgement, bought a bottle of wine and drank it with her in the store, talking endlessly of his work and of reports he had had to write.

It was, quite frankly, boring, and Link, quite unfortunately, had not realised what a bore he actually was.

Allen had since learned how to tune out his senseless blabbering, muttering a 'hmm' or a 'is that so' every now and then to allow the one-sided conversation to continue smoothly.

Link had been gone almost six months now, and she was actually quite happy to not have to see him around. There was something less oppressive about their relationship when he wasn't near her. He was not abusive, but his presence tended to curtail her feeling of freedom.

His letter went on and on about the conditions in Vietnam and he touched on the reports he wrote, but she skipped those parts and finished the three-pages-long letter in five minutes flat.

She snatched up the next few letters and read them in the same fashion, pausing only to decipher some word that promised an interesting titbit (but which mostly failed to deliver).

At last, after a half-hour's worth of letter-reading, Allen drew her writing pad out and scribbled a few generic lines. _I miss you too_, she said_, and it's getting cold here. Asia doesn't have winter, I think? Or does it? See you soon. _

Satisfied with her epistle, she shoved it into a waiting envelope and smiled. Task completed.

Now, perhaps, it was time to get a glass of cold milk. She might meet Kanda in the kitchen preparing his pre-sleep green tea, and then perhaps, just perhaps, they might have another witty and insulting and ultimately interesting conversation.

:::

Another two days later, Kanda banged on Allen's door. "Hurry up, Moyashi! Or I'm leaving without you."

"I'm coming!" Allen wrenched open the door. "It is painfully obvious that I am pregnant, so I gave up on trying to conceal the bump."

"You're what, six months into it? Why are you trying to conceal anything?"

"You jerk," Allen said. "Let's just go."

They piled into Kanda's Ford Mustang. It was an old car that Kanda had bought second-hand. The inside smelled of leather and a faint lavender scent.

"Do you use lavender perfume?" Allen asked suspiciously, her nose twitching.

"No." Kanda shot the woman a glare. "That's my air freshener."

"Oh," Allen replied. "I've never seen you drive this car. In fact, I've never seen the car."

"It has always been in the garage, you idiot. And I like this car."

"So you only drive it during festive occasions?"

"Che."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Kanda merely looked out the window as the car cruised along the roads.

"It's not very far," Allen said.

Kanda shot her a contemptuous glare. "We have to drive _far_."

"You hate driving, that's all. That's why it seems far."

"Tiedoll will be there…" Kanda groaned.

"Of course he will be," Allen said. "How could he not?"

"Interfering fool."

"That's not nice of you." Allen drummed her fingers on the dashboard. Kanda winced but said nothing.

"Anyway," Allen resumed, "I'm so happy for Miranda and Marie!"

"It's about time," Kanda commented, his eyes still not leaving the road. He checked his speedometer and accelerated.

"That's fast," Allen complained.

"We're about to be late, if you haven't noticed, Moyashi!"

Allen glared at Kanda. "Fine."

"You were the one taking all day to come out…"

"Do you really want to argue with me?" Allen sighed and caressed her belly.

"Che."

"Don't che at me." Allen turned her face toward the window. "Anyway, at the rate you're driving, we'll be there soon."

"Of course."

They reached in time. As soon as Kanda's car coasted to a stop, Allen's door was wrenched open and Lavi helped her out. Beside him, Lenalee stood resplendent in a simple peach dress. The simple Tiffany's pendant at her bosom shone and sparkled. Allen felt underdressed, but allowed Lenalee to hug her.

"Allen!" Lenalee exclaimed, holding the girl at arm's length, "I've missed you!"

"You just saw her a few days ago," Kanda commented.

"Oh, hello there Kanda."

"Yu!" Lavi shouted, hurrying over to his self-proclaimed best friend. "Tiedoll's looking for you!"

"Why's he looking for me?" Kanda looked alarmed.

"Photo-taking, of course. Daisya's here already, you know!" Lavi steered Kanda into the building so that the photo-taking could commence. Meanwhile, Lenalee brought Allen with her and led her to their seats.

"It's about to start," Lenalee said. They headed into the little chapel and found their seats. "You saw Mr Tiedoll?"

"No, I didn't."

"But you know him by sight, right?"

"I've seen him around before! He looks like a really nice guy."

"Kanda doesn't much like him…"

"But he's his foster father!" Allen exclaimed. "If Cross were as nice as Mr Tiedoll is, I'd have no complaints."

"I suppose things are relative," Lenalee said. She fingered the patterns on the wooden bench they were sitting on. Allen couldn't see her eyes for the downward sweep of Lenalee's fringe. "Some people think that children are a bore, for example, but I think that they are a godsend."

Allen placed her hand on Lenalee's. "Be optimistic, Lenalee. You're going to have a child!"

"Kanda's right, you know," Lenalee said. "You do try to cheer others up even when you're not feeling all perky yourself."

"Sorry? Has Kanda been gossiping about me?" Allen gaped.

"Well, not gossiping." Lenalee laughed. "Do you know how funny that sounded? Anyway, Kanda doesn't gossip."

"Damn right I don't," Kanda said, his voice gruff. He looked at Allen. "Move."

Glaring at her housemate, Allen shifted to allow Kanda to sit beside her in their temporary pew. Lavi sidled past them to move beside Lenalee. Before her, Allen saw Kanda's father Tiedoll move into the front pew. Immediately, the old man turned around to smile at the four young people.

Allen liked the sight of Tiedoll. His hair was bushy and grey, and his eyes were kind behind their glass walls. He looked like the kind of man who would buy his children everything they needed, a man who would never sacrifice his children's desires for his own pleasure.

The minute Tiedoll turned back to face the front, the wedding march started playing. Before them, Tiedoll started to sob loudly.

"Drat that man," Kanda said.

"He's happy for Marie!" Allen said reprovingly.

"Happy! Of course he's happy, the sentimental freak." Kanda looked away.

Allen dug the heels of her ballet flats into the carpeted ground as she ignored Kanda and his rudeness, and instead turned to catch a glimpse of her friend Miranda walking down the aisle. Miranda was looking radiant on the arm of her father, and for once in her life she looked like she might possibly be brave enough to start a new life of her own.

At the end of the aisle stood Noise Marie, a big grin stretching across his dark face. His dark, unseeing eyes were twinkling, and Allen felt happy for him. She didn't know him all that well, but he'd been a nice gentleman and a relatively helpful friend – quite unlike his foster brother Kanda.

As the wedding march drew to a close, Miranda finally stumbled to the altar without so much as missing her footing once. Allen would have clapped for the woman if she could, but then it wasn't time for clapping. The ceremony proceeded smoothly, and soon Miranda and Marie were man and wife and very, very happy.

Allen, together with Lenalee, Lavi and Kanda, walked toward the aisle to offer her congratulations. Miranda's frilly white dress was beautiful, and Allen vaguely wondered if she would ever get a chance to wear such a dress. Right now, her relationship with Link was mostly a one-sided affair. Any interest she once had in him had long since petered out, and she had no potential partners in mind. She was still young, but she doubted if she would ever find a man who could accept her flaws and who she could love in return.

It would be hard.

:::

The drive back to Kanda's house was not a long one, but Allen was already tired out by the time they returned home.

"Don't you think it's funny," Allen remarked, "that we both call this place home?"

"No," Kanda said.

"At first I thought of it as merely a house. A big, middle-class-ish, rich-ish house. But now it almost seems like a home. And you almost seem like a friend."

"How touching."

"Stop doing that, Kanda."

"I'm not doing anything."

"Oh yes you are. Stop being sarcastic!"

"You asked for it."

"I almost thought you were a friend."

"Che."

"Be like that," Allen said and got out of the car.

"You're crazy," Kanda replied. He parked the car and followed Allen into the kitchen.

Allen was rummaging through the refrigerator; in her hands were a carton of milk, a bowl of grapes and a slice of bread.

"You're eating all that?" Kanda asked while making himself a cup of green tea. "That's really greedy."

"I'm hungry." Allen thumped something in the fridge.

"That's my fridge – don't spoil it. Or you pay. And didn't we eat at the reception just now?"

"But I'm still hungry," Allen said plaintively. "Don't grudge me my food."

"Oi Moyashi, leave some food for breakfast, will you!"

"Fine," Allen grumbled and sat down at the kitchen table with her bread and drink and fruits. She glared daggers at Kanda and proceeded to swallow her spoils.

"You'll get nightmares eating that much before bedtime."

"No, that's untrue. Who told you that!"

"Tiedoll." Kanda shrugged and stood up to wash his cup. "Don't come crying to me if you get a nightmare. It would serve you right."

"You're heartless."

"Che."

Allen sighed loudly and exited the room after finishing her food. She turned at the doorway. "Be sure to close the windows, Kanda. It looks like rain tonight."

"Shut up."

"You're welcome."

Kanda, however, did shut the windows – and the decision proved to be a good one. He went to bed all snug and warm, and woke up at two in the morning to the rhythmic tapping of the rain at his windowpanes. He remembered that he'd closed the windows at Allen's behest, and turned on his side to go back to sleep.

And then he sat up.

There was a wild keening in the air. It was not the sound the wind made as it rushed under doors looking for feet to bite; it was vaguely human and full of agony. Kanda groaned and massaged his temples before swinging his feet to the wooden floor. The cold pricked at his toes, but he moved steadily on in his bare feet, covering the space between his bed and the door in no time at all.

The noise got louder when he opened the door. In fact, it seemed to issue from the Moyashi's room. Kanda frowned and crossed the hall and rapped loudly on the door, and when no one responded, he pulled the door open.

The sight before him was shocking; Allen was crouching on the floor, clad only in her thin pyjamas. He could see the rounded bulge of her tummy in the dim light that filtered in through the storm. She was shaking; he went up to her and pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped her up in it none too gently.

"Oi. What's wrong with you?" Kanda put a hand on Allen's shoulder. He could feel her convulsive shaking and felt a strange stab of anxiety. "What's wrong with you?"

Allen didn't stop shaking. Kanda sighed and crouched down beside her, making sure the blanket was safely tucked around Allen.

After a while, Allen calmed down.

"What happened?" Kanda asked, his hand still on her shoulder.

"I saw her." Allen shook lightly but remained calm. Then she shook her head. "Nightmare."

"Nightmare?" Kanda raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"Yes, it was a nightmare. Don't worry about me." Allen pushed herself up and got into bed. "Thank you."

"You sure you're okay?" Kanda asked again, lingering at the foot of the bed.

"Yes. Now go away, Kanda."

Kanda left, but Allen's eyes remained wide open. She feared to close them again; she feared to see those gunmetal-grey eyes boring into her own in the dark wastelands of her dreamscape. Everything was her fault; she hadn't been able to protect her from harm; she hadn't been able to save them all from perdition. It was all her fault, all her fault, all her fault, and for a while, she wept into the pillows.

* * *

A/N: I am getting my A level results back tomorrow, and… who knows what will come to pass? Sad and scared right now, but mmm. Idk.

Anyway, how was this? All comments are appreciated, be they suggestions or praise or criticism. Isn't gunmetal grey a pretty term? I saw someone use it before and was really taken with it.

Okay that's about it – thanks for reading, and thanks to those who reviewed before!

Oh, and do tell me if you spot any mistakes, because I didn't edit the first few parts. Thanks again (:


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Obvious, no?

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

The next morning, Kanda was unpleasantly surprised to see a certain purple car sitting in his driveway. He recognised the vehicle; it belonged to his crazy, good-for-nothing brother, Daisya.

Kanda walked towards the kitchen, his lips twitching in annoyance.

In the kitchen, he found Daisya talking to Allen.

"So you see, Yu actually –" Daisya stopped and looked toward Kanda. "Oh, look, here's the macho man himself!"

"What are you doing in my house?" Kanda demanded. His brow was creased and his fingers settled on the cuffs of Daisya's shirt.

"Hey, chill, man." Daisya pulled himself away from Kanda. "I came here to see if you'd put me up for a few days. What do you say?"

"Get out."

"Eh?"

"I said, get out!"

"Kanda!" Allen rebuked, "that's not nice. He's your brother!"

"And you're my guest, so shut up."

Allen bit her lip, but kept silent. Meanwhile, she stirred her tea – Earl Grey, with lemon – and figured that Kanda wasn't one for family ties.

"Aw, Kanda! I've got nowhere to stay. I came up here for Marie's wedding, and what, you want to turn me out and make me drive back in this awful weather?"

"The weather's not awful."

"Sure is! I can't drive for fear of slipping on the road."

"It's spring."

"It's not! There's still snow."

"Che. You're an idiot. Stay with Tiedoll."

"He's left!" Daisya argued. "He left straight after Marie's reception. He went up north to some art exhibition."

"You have the damned keys."

"Yeah, well, no I don't!"

Kanda glared at Daisya. "You lost them?"

"You see – it was an accident, yeah. I was trying to see if I could climb up a lamp post, but it was kinda hard, and the keys slid out into the river."

"How the hell could the keys have slipped into the river?"

"The lamp post was just over the river, you see." Daisya smiled sheepishly.

"You are an idiot."

"But you love me!"

"I don't. Now just get your stinking ass into the second guest room. You know which one."

"Why not the best?" Daisya asked as he hoisted his luggage up the stairs.

"Because this woman here has it."

"Hey, Mrs Allen Kanda!" Daisya shouted.

"She isn't my wife, you shit!" Kanda shouted back.

"Don't be shy!"

"Just ignore him, won't you?" Allen said.

Kanda glowered before directing his blazing beetle-dark eyes at the man currently descending the stairs. "How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long are you staying?"

"Trying to chase me off? Not so easy, brotherrrr." Daisya rolled the word on his tongue, beaming widely at the effect it had on Kanda. Allen noticed that it seemed to please Daisya to see Kanda grimacing. "I'll be here a fortnight."

"Damn!"

"Hospitality, my dear Kanda, is an underrated virtue."

"I'm going to kill you," Kanda said.

"Maybe. Maybe not!" Daisya winked and was out of the house in a flash.

"He's annoying, che."

"He's your brother."

"He's like Tiedoll. And he's not my damned brother."

"Your adopted brother."

Kanda couldn't argue with that, so he settled for kicking the kitchen table.

"You need anger management classes," Allen observed.

"And you need to stop interfering with what I want to do."

Allen bit her lip again and pulled at her fringe. "I'm interrupting your life?

"Well, yeah, you are – stop trying to impose your opinions on me," Kanda said, tossing his hair and not appearing the least bit apologetic.

"You bastard," Allen said, and walked out of the kitchen, her head bent low and her hands on her belly. Kanda watched her go with a vague sense that he should be doing something about the unnatural tension in the air that lingered even after Allen's departure.

He decided to go swimming instead. To hell with the shop. To hell with Allen Walker.

:::

By the time Kanda came back from swimming it was already evening. The sun was hiding behind the ramparts of the sky, and Kanda paused for the slightest minute to observe the radiance of his house as it stood bathed in the natural crimson skylights.

Then, he realised that there was something unnaturally silent about his house. It wasn't the neighbours. At this time of the day Mr and Mrs Smith would still be out, and Mr and Mrs James would be eating within. Mr Johnson who lived opposite was sitting, as usual, on his porch strumming his guitar. There was nothing out of the ordinary here.

So it had to be his house. Maybe the Moyashi was still sulking within. Maybe that was what was giving him such weird vibes.

The house was dark-quiet, though, and only shadows hung from the empty eaves. There was no sign of Allen at all. Kanda combed the rooms, going to the extent of peering into her wardrobe. There was no sign of the girl.

With an annoyed sigh, Kanda threw himself into the nearest armchair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He'd had a long and hard day, and he didn't really want to get worried over a missing Moyashi. And besides, she hadn't made dinner.

He huffed and sat in his favourite chair, deciding to read to pass the time until the woman came back safely. Goodness knew what Lavi and Lenalee would do to him if the Moyashi came to any harm. Honestly – a pregnant woman was an overrated fixture in anyone's house. She could be moody and giddy by turns, always predictably unpredictable, and it could get on any person's nerves at times.

Any sane person, that is.

Goodness only knew why Lavi went around bragging that pregnant women were a godsend – and heaven forbid that he, Kanda Yu, would have to spend another day listening to Lavi-the-idiot gush about how children were important and how women, especially pregnant and fragile ones, should be treated with care. That morning, said Lavi had grabbed him on his way to work and expounded the virtues of married life and of child-rearing, which was ridiculous because Lavi had yet to be a true father.

Kanda, rather privately, thought that Lavi would make a relatively good father. He was the sort of guy who would play with his kids, the type of daddy who would bring his children to the beach, teach them how to build sandcastles and forts, and generally act like their immature best friend. He rather wished that his father had been the same – but his father was not, and Kanda wouldn't waste time wishing for stuff that would never happen.

Kanda shook himself out of his somewhat painful reverie and glanced at the clock above the mantelpiece. It was almost midnight and therefore about time the Moyashi came traipsing back from wherever it was that she went.

The night was quiet. No one was driving past, and the wind had quietened down, leaving behind only a hollow husk of silence. Kanda felt that if he dropped a pin he would hear it, but it was beneath him to actually carry out such a ridiculous experiment just to prove his point. With a deep frown he stood and stretched. _Fine, then,_ he thought. _I'm not going to wait up for the Moyashi. I have to do stock-taking tomorrow and I want to be up bright and early for it._

Then he glanced uncertainly at the window. There was a shadow on the road, and it seemed to be moving slowly toward him. A niggling feeling scratched at his back, and he glared at the door, daring unknown shadows to approach it.

The front door shivered on its hinges. Kanda almost jumped in spite of himself. Pressing his lips together he wrenched the door open and hissed as a limp Allen fell into his arms.

She stank of alcohol and cigarette smoke, and her white hair was matted. He had never seen her in such a state before, which was not unexpected since he hadn't known her for a very long time. It was dangerous enough, being pregnant and drinking, but what was worse was that she was in a state of undress.

Her long black pants were intact and buttoned from what he could see, thank goodness, but her blouse was half open. The first few buttons were undone, and he could see the smooth curve of her belly and the white skin of her décolletage.

Kanda felt a tingle of anger at Allen's predicament – had someone tried to take advantage of her in her drunken state? Had they succeeded? His heart rate increased, and he could almost hear the _thudthud_ of his heart as the blood flowed furiously through his head. It didn't help that he was a young and healthy male, and therefore not immune to the charms of half-exposed bosoms.

But he was Kanda, and therefore he had a greater degree of control over himself then most other men – especially relative to Lavi. He sat her on the sofa. With careful fingers he buttoned her blouse up, trying his best to avoid touching any sensitive areas.

Then he decided that he was being silly – he didn't like the Moyashi, after all, so it didn't matter if he accidentally touched her, right? He was just a friend – an acquaintance, more like – and he was worried for her well-being (and that of the baby's) just as a friend should be.

It was strange – knowing her had changed his view on friendship slightly. He frowned at this and decided it was best to keep his mind blank.

So he took a deep breath and poked at the Moyashi. "Oi. What's wrong with you? Getting drunk?"

Then she squirmed on the sofa, and her eyes opened. The grey of her pupils was flecked with blue, and the edges of her eyes were red. She glared balefully through her half-lidded eyes at him, though the focus of her gaze seemed to be a little off.

"Do you know," Allen said mournfully, her eyes filling up with tears, "how painful it is?"

"Eh?" Kanda stared at her.

"You don't, do you?" Allen said, the tears now spilling over her cheeks.

"Don't flood my house," Kanda said.

"Do you know how hard it is to lose a child?"

"What?"

"Heh. You don't. You've never had a child, never had to make that kind of decision…" Allen's words started to slur and blend together. She coughed and nearly choked on her own secretions.

Kanda thought that his couch would be better off without a layer of vomit on it, so he flipped Allen over and rubbed circles on her back to soothe her coughing fit. With her mouth pointing to the ground, Allen retched. Kanda pinched the bridge of his own nose to prevent himself from smelling the stale, putrid stench but nonetheless, he continued to rub Allen's back.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked, voice slightly nasal.

"Child…"

"Eh? What are you saying, woman?" Kanda pushed Allen up and pulled her away from the pile of vomit.

She sank into his hold, her breath stale and laced with alcohol. Kanda grunted and heaved her toward her room, holding his breath all the while. He never did like getting drunk – and if his experience was anything to go by, Allen Walker would be one big piece of shit the next day with a hangover so bad she would rather die.

Beyond her bedroom door, Kanda paused and stared. His once immaculate guestroom had been transformed. It was still relatively neat; it was just that the Moyashi had left her print on it. A dark painting (the one they salvaged from her apartment) hung near her bed, and stacks of boxes labelled 'debts' had been added to the room.

He sidestepped the boxes and frowned at the pile of unfolded clothes. Maybe it was time to have a talk with the Moyashi – to teach her the importance of tidiness in a bedroom. With a small sigh he tipped Allen gently onto the bed, rolling her onto her side to prevent her from choking on her vomit if she retched again.

Then he headed into the bathroom to wet a towel, wiping gently at her mouth to remove traces of the foul liquid that had been expelled just minutes ago. He pulled the quilt over her, tucking a loose strand of white hair behind her exposed ear.

Checking that Allen was still safely tucked into bed, Kanda grabbed the dirty towel and marched towards the door, the smell of vomit still lingering in the air. He hated the smell; it reminded him of days long forgotten, of memories he would rather send to the incinerator.

With another look back at the bed, he shut the door, frowning at the ordeal his nose had to endure. The towel would have to go into the bin. There was no way he, Kanda Yu, would wash the disgusting thing.

He walked back to his room in the dark without stumbling over hidden objects or awkward corners. He knew his house that well. But now, in the empty nooks and the dim shadows he seemed to discern a little grief lurking, like sorrow buried alive in the breast of a still-breathing corpse. He shuddered and sped up until he was safe in the confines of his bedroom.

The petals were glowing slightly in his hourglass, and he paused to glance at them.

They were fine. But Allen's words continued to ring in his ears – _do you know how hard it is to lose a child?_

He didn't know, of course, because he had never had a child. But he supposed it was the same as losing one's parents, only more terrible because it would be the older sending off the younger. Maybe that was why the Moyashi was always smiling – maybe she had some secret anguish to nurse and didn't want to be pitied.

He knew what it was like to be pitied.

He knew he didn't like pity.

Maybe he had misunderstood the girl all along? But she was almost a friend now; she was routinely open and entertaining, and the glimpse of grief that marked her made her something different in his eyes.

She was not the girl next door who would go on to marry the average Joe and have a nice, happy family.

She was not the woman who would raise two kids and live in a cheerful yellow house in the suburbs, and who would live a happy but uninteresting life till the day she died.

Allen Walker was an enigma, and he knew there was pain engraved into her heart.

Kanda could not sleep that night. He tossed and turned and meditated, even burning some little incense, but all he could see when he closed his eyes were the charred body of his father, dark tar-dusted eyes lost in eternal sleep, and his mother's pale mask of indifference as she lay stiffly on the ground, her hands white and bloodless.

Behind them, he saw a little child, skipping among the dead and dying, sea-grey eyes lost in the battlefield of lost souls.

Kanda was perplexed that night.

:::

Allen woke with a painful throb in her head. She tried to sit up but the room spun about her. Colours seem to merge into each other, and she had to clutch at the bedstead to sit upright.

As if the headache wasn't enough, she was also subjected to a ruckus in the house. Someone was shouting and another was yodelling and between them she wanted to retch. With a sigh she heaved herself off the bed, pulling a face as her feet slid across the cold floor.

Once she entered the toilet, she immediately slumped onto the floor, looking over the edge of the toilet bowl. Her fingers held the white bowl, and she tried to empty her stomach into it. Nothing came up, though, except for bitter black bile and the hint of something sour.

Allen wiped her mouth with toilet paper and flushed the toilet, feeling only slightly better. There were still hammers pounding against the sides of her head, but at least she could now sit up without feeling like she had to run to the toilet.

Looking down, she saw that she was still in yesterday's outfit – so she hadn't changed? Right. She went clubbing with Daisya the night before.

No wonder she was now in such a mess. Shaking her head, Allen pulled herself up.

It was time to be clean.

:::

Out in the kitchen, Kanda and Daisya were having a mini-war.

"Why did you take her out clubbing?" Kanda shouted. "You know she's pregnant."

"Concerned, are we?" Daisya said, sipping at his coffee.

"Did you not care that she's more than six months with child?"

"She was willing to go."

"That's no reason to bring a pregnant woman clubbing, damn it!"

"Why do you care?" Daisya asked, looking up into Kanda's face. "She's not your girlfriend or anything. And the child isn't even yours!"

"I –" Kanda found himself stumped. He was not often left at a loss for words – because he could always challenge his opponent to a race consisting of him chasing them with Mugen and they would admit defeat immediately. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite fathom why he was worried about the Moyashi anyway and therefore fell silent.

"You're tongue-tied! Weird," commented the ever-observant Daisya. "So you like the fair Allen?"

"Shut the hell up, idiot," Kanda snapped. His fingers inched towards his cup and his face was a blank mask. "Stop hanging around Lavi and getting funny ideas into your already stupid head."

"You're in denial."

"I'm not."

"Your loss." Daisya shrugged and made to leave the kitchen.

"Hold on," Kanda said, and grabbed the back of Daisya's shirt. "You haven't told me what happened."

"Why should I tell you?"

"I'll tell you this, idiot – for the time being, I'm her keeper. Lenalee and Usagi expect her to pop out a baby at the end of nine months, and believe it or not I'm going to make sure they get a healthy, living, kicking baby." Kanda punched his free fist into the table; the echo resounded through the room.

"Well," Daisya said, shifting uncomfortably in Kanda's grip, "it's a short story, really."

Kanda raised an eyebrow and Daisya visibly quaked.

"Well you see…"

* * *

A/N: Yay so the next chapter is out! I had fun writing this, actually. I like writing Daisya – he seems like another version of Lavi!

And tormented Allen is fun, too. I hope I'm getting under their skins correctly.

Alright – so thanks for reading. Reviews (comments/criticism/ suggestion/ praise) would be much appreciated (:


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing~**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

"_Hold on," Kanda said, and grabbed the back of Daisya's shirt. "You haven't told me what happened."_

"_Why should I tell you?"_

"_I'll tell you this, idiot – for the time being, I'm her keeper. Lenalee and Usagi expect her to pop out a baby at the end of nine months, and believe it or not I'm going to make sure they get a healthy, living, kicking baby." Kanda punched his free fist into the table; the echo resounded through the room. _

"_Well," Daisya said, shifting uncomfortably in Kanda's grip, "it's a short story, really."_

_Kanda raised an eyebrow and Daisya visibly quaked. _

:::

"Well you see," Daisya said, frowning, "Allen was bored."

"She was bored, was she?"

"Yeah, she was bored. So we went out, saw a club having a promotion, and we went in. we accidentally got sloshed. It was a mistake, honest." Daisya shrugged, his eyebrows rising toward his forehead.

"You're lying." Kanda lifted a dark eyebrow.

"Awww, how did you know?" Daisya groaned. He pulled a face.

"I caught you. You usually sound impossibly honest when you lie."

"Irony, much?"

"It's you; what can you expect?" Kanda asked. "Now get on with the real story. I want the damned truth and only the damned truth."

"Right," Daisya said. "Let me just go catch a nap first –"

"No." Kanda pulled Daisya back again. "Tell me now, before I run you through with Mugen."

"Are you sure you're not in love with her?" Daisya asked, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.

"What?" Kanda's eyes narrowed dangerously into slits.

"You don't look pretty like that –"

"Daisya Barry!" Kanda roared and unsheathed his sword. He chased Daisya around the kitchen at sword point.

"Stop!" Daisya begged. "I'm your brother!"

"The hell you're my brother."

"I'll tell you! I'll tell you the truth and only the bloody truth!" Daisya said, huffing as he clutched at the table top.

"Fine." Kanda stopped and sheathed his sword. "Go on. I'm waiting."

"You are one irritating man," Daisya grumbled, clutching at his sides.

"You're wheezing like an old man," Kanda said, smirking with satisfaction. "Now spill."

"She looked very glum when I got back. So I deduced that maybe you fought with her or something… don't you know pregnant women are dangerously emotional?"

"Che."

"That again?" Daiysa sighed. "Anyway I told her I'd cheer her up a bit and so I got her to dress up a little and we headed out. I intended only to bring her out to the restaurant at the end of the next street, honest."

"And the restaurant turned into a bar?"

"No," Daisya admitted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "I got distracted by my friend's text message."

"Promotion?"

"Yeah. So I brought Allen along, y'know, because I couldn't possibly leave the poor, sad girl alone in your house?"

"You could have."

"So, right, I took her with me. Somehow, she got drunk, even though I actually ordered her juice. Then I went to take a pee and when I came back to the table, she was gone, and so was my friend."

"And then?" Kanda tapped his fingers on the table-top.

"Then I wandered around trying to find them; I started dancing with this hot girl and guess what – I saw Allen and A. dancing over there. They looked pretty drunk 'cause I saw A. running his fingers around Allen's waist."

"Shit him."

"Are you, like, jealous?" Daisya asked.

"No, you fool."

"Yeah so I saw A. start to unbutton Allen's blouse and I went over and dragged them apart. Embarrassing! They were kissing and all…"

"Che." Kanda looked down, disgust written on his face.

Daisya shrugged. "I put her in a cab after that. She was somewhat tipsy and all that."

"And you didn't think to come back with her?"

"I wanted to dance," Daisya said defensively. "That girl yesterday was hot."

"Che. You really are an idiot."

"Hey! It's human to err!" Daisya wrung his hands in mock anguish.

"Don't act stupid."

"Fine – I wanted to enjoy myself – happy?"

"No."

"You never are happy."

"How can I be happy with a weird family like you all?"

"You forget what we saved you from."

"Che." Kanda averted his head, refusing to acknowledge his brother's implicit concern.

Daisya deigned to smile.

Kanda saw it, and lunged with a fork he grabbed from the table. "Now you die!"

Daisya screamed.

:::

"So what happened?" Lavi asked, staring down at Daisya's bloody nose. "You guys got into a catfight?"

Kanda glared at him, muttering foul words under his breath. "Go away."

Lenalee turned and stared at Kanda reproachfully, the furrows of her eyebrows nearly touching. "Must you always be this violent, Kanda?"

Lenalee and Lavi had arrived in time to see Kanda's fist smashing into Daisya's nose. His nose would not have broken had Daisya thought to swerve to avoid the blow, but for some unknown reason Daisya did _not_ turn his head.

That was when Allen came down the stairs. She saw the blood and shrieked but didn't faint, to Kanda's hidden relief. The girl was currently ensconced in one of the chairs, sipping at the tea Lavi brought out of Kanda's once squeaky clean kitchen.

The kitchen would never be the same again. Kanda would have to scrub it from head to foot to remove all traces of Daisya and Lavi.

"Speaking of that," Kanda said, "how did you two get in?"

"Your gate was open," Lavi said, shrugging. "Don't you ever lock it?"

"I do," Kanda said.

"Well, you obviously didn't." Lenalee still appeared mad. She looked slightly disappointed by his behaviour as well. "Don't you care that Allen is in the house?"

"Speaking of which – Allen looks kind of sick," Lavi observed, keen eyes latching onto the grey undertones of Allen's skin and the slight purple circles under her eyes which she had tried to cover with concealer.

"I, uh," Allen said, her voice faltering. Now that it was morning and she was awake, she felt horrible about what had occurred the night before. She had put the baby's life at risk, for goodness' sake.

"You look like you're having a hangover," Lavi continued. His eyes were now drawn together such that he looked almost like a hawk.

Allen shivered slightly and tried to ease off the heavy feeling of guilt.

"Allen?" Lenalee said, sorrowful. "Is it true?"

"Yes," Allen said, and shifted her weight away from the smooth, velvety arms of the chair.

Lenalee's eyes dropped slightly, and Lavi's eyebrows shot up.

"I'm sorry," Allen said, her voice little more than a muffled whisper.

"It's not her fault," Kanda interjected. "Blame this fool here." He gestured at Daisya, who scowled.

"Daisya?" Lenalee asked.

"He took Allen clubbing," Kanda said.

"It's not Daisya's fault…" Allen hung her head. "I wanted to go."

"Damn you, woman," Kanda said, turning to direct his scorching eyes at Allen, "stop trying to shield the idiot."

"I'm not. I knew I shouldn't be going, but I went anyway."

"Che."

"Why, Allen?" Lenalee asked, her voice now melting with concern. She walked over and took Allen's cup. "Were you unhappy?"

"Are you unhappy?" Lavi asked.

"I was, yesterday. I think it was just, you know, something to do with me being pregnant…" Allen replied. "It was nobody's fault but mine."

"You should have known better, Daisya!" Lenalee chided.

"Sorry?" he offered, turning a repentant face towards Lenalee.

Lenalee frowned but nodded. "Don't do it again, alright? Pregnant women shouldn't go clubbing…"

"Allen's sorry," Lavi said. "Let's go and let her rest."

"Alright," Lenalee said. She handed back the glass to Allen. "Take care, Allen!"

"I won't be that foolish again," Allen said.

"I know you won't." Lenalee pecked Allen on the cheek and moved toward the door. "Come on, Lavi."

Kanda waited till the Bookmans were out of earshot before he rounded on Daisya again. "You idiot!" he hissed, anger curling around his words.

"Sorry!" Daisya held his hands up in a gesture of resignation.

"Do it again, and you die."

"I won't do it again!" Daisya said, inching his way out of the kitchen, hands at his battered nose. "Uh, I'm going to rest now, if y'all don't mind."

"The damned idiot."

"Stop cursing him, Kanda."

"You were stupid too – what were you thinking?"

"Concerned for me, Kanda? How touching." Allen placed the glass back on the table, and the clinking sound cut through the awkward silence.

"What? No!"

"Calm down. I won't do that again, you can take my word for it."

"You'd better not." Kanda sat down and glared at her. "Why were you so stupid?"

"What?"

"And I thought you couldn't get any more foolish," Kanda sniffed.

"Excuse me?" Allen's expression shifted slightly, and her metal-grey eyes darkened a shade. "I have no wish to talk to you. At all."

Kanda watched in silence as Allen stalked out of the kitchen, her head held high and hand on her belly. Why was it so difficult to communicate with her? Were her hormones really making her that cranky – or god forbid, had he done something wrong?

He almost gagged at that, because since when did Kanda ever do anything wrong? it was really quite an irritating issue, so he stopped his thought process and grabbed Mugen. It was time for practice.

:::

"Y'know, Allen, maybe you're being unfair to Yu," Daisya said, crouching by the girl as she sat hidden behind the stairs. "Yucks. Cobwebs."

"There aren't cobwebs," Allen said, brushing vaguely at the air.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah. Unfair, you said."

"Yes, that's right, missy!" Daisya looked at Allen and grinned. "You like him?"

"Who?"

"Yu!"

"You?"

"No, Yu! As in, Kanda!" Daisya chuckled. "Though of course I wouldn't mind such a charming young lady came onto me."

Then he eyed her. "Though you are a little fat around the middle…"

"I'm pregnant, you bloody arse!"

"I knew that," Daisya said ruefully, nursing his head at the spot where Allen's pale fist had landed seconds before. "Me and my big mouth."

"Hmm. I have a boyfriend, you know."

"Course I know. Lavi told me! He's name's Link or something? Some bigshot?"

"Uh huh."

"Nah, we're not talking 'bout him here. Listen," Daisya said, leaning in, a penitent look sprawled across his face, "I'm sorry about yesterday. Should never have let you get sloshed."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not okay, really. You're a nice girl, man, but the baby needs no alcohol till he's eighteen and legal."

Allen cocked an eyebrow.

"Lavi and Lenalee really want this child bad, y'know. That's why I feel really horrid now."

"Why do they want a child so badly?"

"Long story." Daisya grinned. "But I'll cut it short, eh?"

"Please do." Allen leaned back so that her face melted into the shadows.

"Lavi was orphaned early on," Daisya said, his eyes drawing tightly together such that his macho mascara formed diamonds on his pale face. "He's always wanted siblings. And children, too, methinks."

"Pardon? Lavi was –"

"Yeah. Yours isn't the only sob story around, y'know? Kanda's an orphan too."

"Are you –"

"Nopes I'm not kidding!" Daisya said.

"How did Kanda –"

"What, you want me to tell you and take that joy away from dear Kanda? Nah. Ask him."

"You were saying – "

"Yes, as I was saying before you interrupted me, Lavi's an orphan. Course, he's got his grandpa so it's not so bad, but the old man's old, and not exactly a hell lot of fun. Get what I mean?

"And then there's Lenalee, who's always loved all things cute and cuddly. Maternal woman, that one. So put them together and you get a cute little family unit without the kiddos."

"Why?" Allen asked. "They never told me."

"They tried many times," Daisya said. "They didn't give up. She had a miscarriage once, even."

"I didn't know…"

"Uh huh. She's infertile, more or less. But she never gives up."

"And she doesn't act like she lost a baby once."

"You'd be surprised to know how strong Lenalee really is. Though Komui doesn't believe that one bit."

"Komui?"

"Yeah, you've seen him, yes?"

"He' nice." Allen frowned. "A little paranoid around Lenlaee, though."

"He has a complex, trust me."

"You were saying?"

"I grew up with Lenalee, Lavi and Kanda, and to be honest, they're all amazing people. In one way or another, that is. Even Kanda's special in some way. That's why I feel really bad about what happened last night. If Lenalee and Lavi lost their chance at parenting because of me…" Daisya trailed off and hooked his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans. He seemed unable to continue.

"It's not Kanda's fault, anyhow," Daisya said after a short pause. He looked up and the skin around his eyes crinkled as his lips curved into a smile. "Be nicer to him. He needs more kindness, I sometimes think. Although he doesn't really make it easy for us to be nice to him."

Allen nodded mutely.

"Good that you know, now. I'll be off then. Try to make up with Kanda? He doesn't have many friends."

:::

Allen decided to head to her shop after that, because she wasn't ready to apologise to Kanda. the shop calmed her down; there was something oddly comforting about seeing the rows of liquor bottles; there was something calming about its longstanding familiarity.

She could get some alone time to think, now. She had to be careful from then on – the baby was her top priority now. After all, she had made the commitment, and she should adhere to it. A life and a couple's happiness were at stake now, and any foolish moves on her part would jeopardize her hopes of finding some closure.

With a huge sigh, Allen poked at the dust on her counter, sweeping her hand in a neat arc over the glossy surface. Someday soon, she'd have to get a rag and do some wiping.

Then she heard soft footfalls threading vaguely around her – looking up, she glimpsed Tyki Mikk. His head of unruly dark hair was stuck just around the doorway.

He winked. "Busy?"

"Not really. I could do with a good heart-to-heart talk."

"I'm not Rhode, as you may have realised."

"We can still talk," Allen said. She offered a smile.

"That's true. How are things? I don't think I've seen you in quite some time, and you don't always reply my text messages." Tyki took the chance to glare balefully at Allen, his amber eyes glittering with the trace of something menacing.

"I'm fine." Allen paused for a moment, before turning her own sea-grey eyes toward Tyki. "I went clubbing last night."

Tyki whistled. "With who?"

Allen frowned at the mocking grin slowly spreading across her friend's dark face. "It's not like that. I went with Daisya Barry."

"I know him," Tyki said. "Kanda Yu's brother. I thrashed him once at a football game."

"Remembering old grudges, are we?" Allen laughed. "Men."

"Hey," Tyki protested. "That's not true. Totally untrue."

"Anyway I feel really bad about it now. I could have lost the baby, you know?"

Tyki made a sympathetic noise and reached over the counter. He patted Allen's hand.

"Thanks for the concern," Allen said.

"That's what friends are for!"

"Indeed."

"Why don't you talk to Rhode anymore? She sulks a great deal more often nowadays. It's getting kinda annoying." Tyki scratched at a spot on his blemish-free nose.

"I… we… we aren't on speaking terms."

"I thought," Tyki said, arching a dark eyebrow, "that you weren't afraid to admit to being in the wrong."

"I'm not. Except, in this case, I have no idea what Rhode expects from me."

"A simple apology should do."

"Goodness, Tyki, do you really think it would? We're talking about Rhode Camelot here. Your niece!"

"That's also true," Tyki said, wrinkling his nose. "I still remember when she drowned a kitten for shitting on her shoes."

"You see?"

"Well, at least you're not the one who's living with her!"

"Oh, poor you." Allen made a sympathetic noise.

"You sound like a mother hen." Tyki glanced up and smiled.

"I'm not. But I kind of regret falling out with Rhode. I don't know who to talk to about Link. We used to talk about him…"

"I'm always here, if you need me," Tyki said. He stood up and brushed his pants. "Talk to Rhode again, try to rebuild something from the ashes, maybe. You never know."

Allen half-smiled, choosing instead to lift her cup to her mouth. "Thanks. You're a good friend."

"I'm an old friend," Tyki said, and he inched nearer. "And I know many secrets."

"Pardon?"

"I was kidding. Anyway, Skin might be dropping in anytime soon. He wants some sweet alcohol." Tyki shrugged, his features arranging themselves into a grimace.

"Okay, that's great!"

"He reminds me of a bear sometimes."

"Not a nice thing to say about your brother."

"He's not my bro."

Allen nodded sagely.

"I see you clearly disagree. Suit yourself, my young friend." Tyki moved fluidly toward the doorway, his tight black jeans following the lean lines of his body. "I am now off to capture young human gazelles for use as vessels of the divine secretion."

Allen gaped at him.

"I was joking," Tyki said, a sardonic grin wrapping itself onto his face. "I'm off to check the mines. Or something."

He was gone in a moment, and Allen was once again left to her own devices. She frowned slightly before patting her tummy, finishing the rest of her green tea. It was strange, but ever since she moved into Kanda's house, she'd developed a fondness for the bitter beverage.

She placed the cup down, feeling the usual slight jolt in her arm when the cup returned to the saucer.

Then she saw it.

Reaching out, she slowly tore the envelop open, wondering what news lay within. There was no name or address on the back of the envelop so she didn't know where it came from. She checked the bottom of the paper: there sat a huge, fanciful signature.

Howard Link had sent her another letter. There never seemed to be any end to them.

_Dear Allen_, it read_, I am pleased to receive your latest correspondence by mail. It's a pleasure hearing from you, and I really do love reading your heartfelt writings. _

Allen snorted and skimmed the letter for any important information beyond Link's inept attempt at writing a love letter. Really, she didn't like all the adulations he saddled her with; there was something off about the adjectives and descriptive phrases he used, as if he was trying a little too hard.

It definitely wasn't her cup of tea. Speaking of tea, she needed another cup of green tea.

Then she stopped halfway through standing up, and her fingers clutched the letter tighter. She brought the letter to her eyes, as if doing so would unmake the unwanted promise included in the letter.

_My dear Allen, I will be back in two weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing you then._

Back in a week? Her mind looked at the date at the top of the page, before attempting a quick mental calculation.

Then she froze. She wasn't ready to explain anything; she wasn't ready for anything.

Despite all her worries, nothing changed.

Link would be back the next day.

* * *

A/N: How's this? I haven't started on chapter nine at all… Slow-going process! So updates mightn't be weekly anymore. Idk, really.

Was Daisya IC, do you think? I hope everything here makes sense, more or less hmmm. Somehow I think that Daisya sounds rather fake. Like a poser.

And – poor Japan. Please pray for them. Donate to the relief efforts. Or something. I hope nothing else will come along to harry them D:

Alright, so thanks for reading and reviewing! All constructive criticism and suggestions are much welcome.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

**Chapter 9**

* * *

With fumbling fingers, Allen dialled a certain number.

"Hello?"

"Hello?" Allen said. "May I speak to Rhode?"

"Rhode speaking."

"I'm, uh, Allen."

"I know."

"I, uh, just want to say that I'm sorry. I never meant to ignore and irritate you and Tyki."

"Good for you."

"Are you angry?"

There was a pregnant and almost-angry pause. ThenRhode let out a huge bellow. "You were tricked by me!"

"Trickster."

"Nope. I'm your friend!" Rhode giggled. Allen almost sighed – sometimes, she didn't know if Rhode was quite sane. But she repressed the sigh.

"I've got news to share," Allen said, trying to put a smile into her voice, even though all she felt like doing was watching grey clouds sweep by.

"What is it?"

"Uh, well…"

"Don't tell me you've fallen for Kanda Yu!" Rhode exclaimed, her voice loud as it streamed through the receiver. "I've gotta tell Tyki! And Jasdevi and Lulu Bell and Master Millennium, maybe even Lero!"

"Shush, Rhode. Don't tell anyone – it's_ not_ true, alright? No, it's not about him_ at all_."

"Then what could be worrying you so much?" Rhode asked. "Did Cross get more bills delivered to you? Tell me that's not true!"

"No, he didn't, thank goodness. Or else I might have to start taking a loan from you…"

"Jasdevi are still smarting over the last loan they gave you, you know!"

"Are they, then? I said I'd repay them when I have the money… tell them to be patient."

"Apparently they want the funds to dabble in something. Music and goth bands and that kind of thing. Nothing interesting, really."

"Oh."

"Don't feel bad about it; take your time to repay them. Master Millennium funded them in the end, so no worries there."

"That's good to hear." Allen exhaled. "But that wasn't the point."

"What is the point, then? Is there even any point in life, at all?" Rhode asked, a formal tone edging into her voice. Then she giggled.

"Don't try to sound wise," Allen said. "It doesn't work in your case."

Rode huffed on the line. "Fine. Get on with your story."

"The bait is cast…" Allen remarked. "Link's coming back tomorrow. What do I do?"

"I empathise," Rhode said, "but I can't do anything about that."

"You can't stop him?"

"No can do," Rhode said. "How could I?"

"Ask Tyki for help or something. Or your father could help… he has connections."

"Oh, that'd work just fine," Rhode drawled. "Did you seriously think we could salvage the situation for you?"

"Right," Allen said. "I'm in some bloody deep trouble."

"I can see that."

"You're not helping!"

"Exactly why do you not want him back?"

"Because he's irritating. Because he's bound to get angry with me for being pregnant. Because he's a prat."

"Good reasons, and many of them too," Rhode mused. "Just try and explain. He might get it. But he probably won't."

Allen moaned.

"Now," Rhode said, "don't give up. If you die at his hands I will give you a spectacular funeral!"

"I can hear you clapping your hands," Allen said, disgruntled.

"I am. Sharp ears you have."

"What kind of friend are you?"

"A caring one," Rhode said.

"Anything but."

"That's not true…" Rhode said. "Alright tell me how it goes? I need to go work on my research now."

"Okay," Allen said. She hung up and flopped onto her bed as best she could, staring up at the white ceiling. Her eyes traced the faint lines of the paint, wondering how she could deal with the ticking time bomb that was Howard Link.

The next day would bring misery, she supposed. But there were debts to clear and a living to make, and she had to make the best of the situation, somehow.

:::

"You seem rather depressed this morning," Kanda said as he poured out two cups of green tea.

He seemed to have become a different person altogether that day – he did not glare at her when she appeared in the kitchen, nor did he jibe her about her messy hair. Instead, he'd actually given her a smile – albeit a strained and tiny one – and passed her some green tea without any prompting.

"Are you sure you're Kanda?" Allen asked.

"What do you mean? Of course I am." He frowned.

"You're being awfully nice today," Allen said. "Are you sure you're not sick or drunk?"

"The hell? Why do you say such ridiculous stuff? Do you actually have a brain?"

"Ah that sounds more like you on a normal day."

"Shit you."

"I wish you the same," Allen said, before busying herself with bread and butter and bacons and eggs and a stack of maple-drizzled pancakes.

"Che."

"If you continue that," Allen said through a mouthful of jam, "you'll lose your ability to speak someday."

"Nice to know that. But you're wrong."

"I was just being _concerned_," Allen said and shrugged. "You know, _a concerned friend_? Or have you never heard the two words together with regards to you before?"

"I will ask one more time, and you'd better answer. Why are you so depressed this morning?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Look, are you still mad at me from yesterday?"

"Uh," Allen said, fighting to veil her surprise. Wasn't Kanda an arrogant brat who never deigned to notice others' emotions? "No, I'm not."

"That's good, because I was never in the wrong, anyway, damn it."

Allen rolled her eyes and finished her breakfast. "I'm leaving for work now, if that's all you have to say."

"Wait."

Allen stopped midway to the door. "Yes?"

"Wait for me. I'll walk with you to the mall."

Allen arched a white brow but nodded.

In ten minutes they were out the door, the autumn landscape rising and falling around them.

"The leaves are falling," Allen said, and thrust her hands deeper into her pockets.

"It's autumn; what did you expect?"

"It's still sad, nonetheless."

"Too sentimental."

"It's better than not having a heart," Allen said pointedly, directing her stormy-grey eyes towards him.

"Che."

"Limited vocabulary, I see."

"You still haven't told me why you look so depressed."

Allen stopped. She looked at Kanda, appraising him. "Why do you care?"

"I think we're acquaintances, at least? At least, warn me before you decide to pull off another crazy stunt."

Allen snorted and resumed walking down the path, cold wind swirling her scarf around her neck. "It's nothing much… except… except that Link's coming back."

Her last few words were whispered, but Kanda caught them all the same. He looked at her and nodded. "I see."

"You do?"

"You're afraid."

"Yes." It amazed Allen that Kanda did not beat about the bush. He didn't stop to offer her some comforting advice; he dived straight into the truth.

"The truth would be good."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell the truth."

"He wouldn't take it well."

"Then dump him. Isn't it that simple?"

"No! You don't understand!" Allen wrung her hands, scraping at her palms with her fingernails. "You grew up in plenty, I grew up in want. I need to make a living."

Kanda eyed her, his eyes almost empty. Not hollow-empty, but painful-empty. "That's not true. You don't know me well enough to say that."

"I'm sorry," Allen said, her head dropping onto her shoulders. "I don't quite know what I'm saying. I'm just all bloody wrong now, alright? Go on. I'll talk to you later."

"The truth never hurts." Kanda raised his hand, slowly lifting it to her shoulder. He gave it a little squeeze before turning smartly on his polished heel.

Allen sighed and turned, continuing toward her store.

She almost made it to Judgement – then she flinched.

She first saw the yellowish tints on the display windows. It was unsightly, if only because it would cloud the views of prospective customers. Frowning deeply, her eyes moved on to a double-breasted suit that stood nearby, hanging smoothly off the frame of a man.

And the man's face – it was _him_.

Allen felt a shock of something like despair run through her veins, scattering her thoughts and leaving her fortitude to turn to stone. It didn't matter that she'd steeled herself to see him, to be subject to his surprise, questions and then displeasure. The moment she saw him her heart clenched painfully, stabbing ferociously as she felt the negative energy emanating from the man.

It was Link, his dirty yellow hair tucked neatly into a braid. Allen gaped at him – Asia had not changed him at all. He still wore his suits smartly pressed, with his cuffs on and his posture completely, strangely, almost inhumanely straight.

He turned toward her and gave her a curt nod and a tight smile, as if his facial muscles weren't quite able to move. He walked towards her, movements stiff like a weathered tree's trunk swaying tightly in the breeze.

"Allen," he greeted, enveloping her in a loose, hollow hug. She rather felt like she was being patted by a breeze.

"Link. It's good to see you."

"Is it, now?" Link leaned back and surveyed her, his cold eyes resting on the curve of her protruding belly.

"Yes, Link. You've been gone a long time."

"I missed you."

"As… as did I." She hoped he hadn't caught her slight moment of hesitation, though it was really hard to tell because his features had not moved at all.

"Mmm." Link frowned and gestured toward her shop. "After you."

Allen nodded, worry crinkling the skin around her eyes as she led the way. Somewhat chivalrously, Link extended his hand for the key.

Allen stood to the side, leaning against the display windows. _I've nothing to fear_, she reassured herself. _I'm only doing something to help another couple. It's not like I had an affair. _

"Now," Link said as they walked into the shop. He flicked the lights on and turned to stare down at her. "You can explain this." He looked pointedly at her abdomen, which was the size of a large watermelon.

"I –"

"And, you can also explain why it is that you moved out of your apartment without telling me."

"How did you know?"

"Were you planning on keeping it from me?" Link raised an eyebrow, daring Allen to cross him.

"No. I moved out temporarily."

"The landlady said you hadn't been there in a few months." Link sat down on Allen's chair behind the counter, leaving her standing before him. He surveyed her through clipped eyes.

Fidgeting, Allen stared back. Her legs were starting to ache – it was no easy thing standing while carrying a human within her. The weight of it pulled at her back and her legs, stretching her muscles taut.

"Don't look at me like this. I can explain it all," she said, grimacing as she realised how her diction made her seem like the guilty party in a story (that was definitely a hoax).

Link nodded, his almond eyes staring at her without blinking.

"I," Allen said, unnerved by his eyes.

Why had she never realised how strange his eyes were? Kanda's eyes were shaped somewhat like that, as well, except his eyes never did fix upon her with such a menacing stare before. Well, they had, in a way, but they had always been filled with anger (when she was imprudent) or with hatred (in the beginning) or with frustration. She had never seen Kanda's eyes this empty before, hollow as the sky before sunrise.

Link's eyes were clouded over with shadows, his thoughts blanketed out from her view. Her knees quivered and she felt the need to sit. With a sigh, she walked over to another chair, pulling it toward the counter before sinking into it, her swollen feet easily giving way.

"Go on," Link said. He continued staring her down, empty eyes fixed now on her belly, now on her face.

"I'm a surrogate."

"Sorry?" Link said, his eyes flashing fire. "I didn't quite catch that. Come again?"

"I," Allen said, taking a deep, ragged breath, "am a surrogate mother."

"Well," Link said, eyes opened wide. "And this is the woman who told me she never wanted children!"

"I'm doing a good deed."

"So you are, so you are." But Link did not smile. He tapped his long fingers on the counter, staring resolutely at the till. "And does that explain why you have to move out without telling me your new address?"

"I said that was temporary."

"Answer my question, please."

Allen sighed. "The couple I'm helping – well, they're very concerned for my well-being. So they got their friend to look after me for a while."

"Who's the friend?"

Allen shrugged.

"You forget what you owe me," Link said. His brows drew together in a straight, forbidding line.

Allen inched her toe into the carpet, wondering how best to phrase the answer to prevent Link from exploding. The carpet was soft and she wished she could just bury her face into it like ostriches did with sand.

"I'm waiting."

"You don't know him."

"Oh, so it's a him?" Link's chair creaked as he leaned backward, his expression stony.

"Yes. But it's nothing improper." Allen sat straighter, fury boiling in her. Link probably suspected her of cheating on him – which was totally untrue.

"Oh?" Link said. "I hope you've not forgotten that you're my girlfriend."

"I haven't."

"Good. Now, who's this man you're living with?" Link wrinkled his nose as though the idea of Allen living in the same house as any man, with the exception of himself, was a most disgusting and deplorable concept.

"Kanda Yu."

"Ah. Kanda Yu. I see."

Allen nodded warily. "As I said, it's just a temporary arrangement. When the baby's out, I'll move back to my apartment. You don't need to worry about that."

"I –"

"Allen!"

Allen and Link looked around to see Rhode and Tyki in the shop, both with wide, almost maniac grins plastered on their faces.

'Hello, Link!" Rhode said, tilting her head to the side, her wide yellow eyes shining like lamps in a fog. "I'm _so_ glad to see you!"

Tyki nodded enthusiastically, making a show of applauding the man. "And you must be _so_ glad to see Allen!"

Link stared at them, before finally standing. "I see your friends want you to themselves, Miss Walker. I'll get back to you."

They watched him leave, before Tyki helped Allen back behind the counter and Rhode skipped about the room prattling about the awesomeness of dream-travelling to the bottles.

"How did it go?" Tyki asked.

"It went… I don't know, I don't know."

"He looked mad," Rhode commented, ceasing her skipping and turning to talk to them instead of lecturing wine bottles.

"How do you know? I'm his girlfriend and I can't tell, what with his expression and all that."

"I could see it in the way he carried himself, in the anger in his eyes, in the rudeness of his words."

"Rhode's right," Tyki said. "I can't explain why, but I got this feeling when Link shoved past me."

Allen frowned and buried her head in her hands. "Nothing's going right."

"Dump him," the Noahs said.

"I can't, and you know why!"

"Just do it," Tyki reasoned. "If push comes to shove, the Earl could give you a loan. I could. Or Rhode could."

"Yes, I could," Rhode sang. "Or you could join Noah Enterprises!" She rubbed her hands together gleefully, smile stretching wide across her thin face.

"Thanks, guys. I feel loved."

"You are loved," Rhode said.

"First sensible thing I've ever heard you say," Tyki remarked, looking sideways at Rhode. "You're so unpredictable sometimes."

Rhode stuck her tongue out at Tyki, and they all laughed.

:::

"So did you see him?" Kanda asked the next morning as they walked to work together.

"Link?" Allen said, rubbing absently at her head. "Yeah, I did."

"And you didn't tell me at dinner last night?" Kanda sounded slightly aggrieved.

"I forgot," Allen said, shrugging at the ground. She noticed that the bottoms of Kanda's pants were slightly creased, as if he hadn't had the energy to iron them properly the night before. "Sorry."

"Pffff."

"Are you annoyed?" Allen asked after a long pause.

"No," he sniffed. "I am not."

"You most certainly are."

"Am not."

"Are."

"I am never annoyed by petty issues. I am a true blue man."

"So says you." Allen laughed. She swatted at him.

"Go away," Kanda huffed, glaring at the white-haired woman walking beside him.

"I'll take it that you don't mean what you say," Allen said good-naturedly. "It's a good thing that I'm in a good mood today, or you'd be dead as a doornail."

"Che."

"I sometimes wonder if maybe a cat got your tongue when you were young."

Kanda glared, but Allen merely continued beaming.

"Are you sure you didn't take happy pills?" Kanda asked after a pause. "Lenalee would flip if you did. If you're depressed go see a shrink."

"You're crazy."

Kanda growled and Allen uncharacteristically giggled, elbowing Kanda in the ribs.

"What are you –" Kanda paused mid-sentence.

Before them stood a figure dressed in a suit, something not often seen in the park before the mall.

"Link," Allen whispered, hastily withdrawing her arm. She felt Kanda stiffen beside her.

Link marched toward them, back ramrod straight and eyes cold as fishes' scales. "Your friend?" he asked.

"Yes," Allen said, gesturing at Kanda, refusing to let Link's empty glare unnerve her. "This is Kanda Yu, who kindly lets me reside in his house."

"Ah, I see." Link turned his head to Kanda and inclined it. "Thank you, Mr Kanda, for taking care of Allen all this while."

"Che. Nothing I can do about it when the Moyashi has no one to turn to."

"I'm her boyfriend," Link said curtly, "and she can always turn to me in times of trouble."

Kanda arched a dark eyebrow. "You don't seem to have helped much the past few months."

Link 's eyelids drooped halfway over his eyes. "Pardon?"

"Don't go all high and fancy on me. I don't take kindly to that."

"You are an ignorant man, nothing more. Come, Allen, let's go. I will," Link paused, "_escort_ you to your shop and prevent other such men of questionable character from accosting you."

"I," Allen said suddenly, breaking out of the quiet-supportive-girlfriend role she always assumed around Link, "am not going with you!"

"Pardon?" Link was affronted, his eyes wide open now. "Are you… are you trying to break up with me?"

"No," Allen said, her hands crossing over her tummy.

"You most certainly are, you bloody freak of a woman!" Link's fingers clenched together and he balled his pale fists.

"Are you going to hit a woman?" Kanda asked. He flexed his arms as if preparing to enter a fight. "A pregnant woman, at that? Even if she is rather weird at times?"

"Do not poke your meddlesome nose into my domestic affairs, you twat!"

"What did you just call me?"

"You bloody arse, just go away! I need some alone time with _my girlfriend_!" Link spat.

"You dare insult me?" Kanda said, and grabbed at Link's collar, pulling the smaller man toward him.

"No, Kanda!" Allen cried.

But it was too late.

There was a smash and the sickening crunch of bone, and then she wobbled on her knees, overcome by the stench of blood spilled.

* * *

A/N: Alright uh enter Link! Hmmm. I think Link's rather OOC but I don't really give a damn. I want him to be bad and evil. And scrawnier than Kanda, obviously.

More of Rhode and Tyki in this chapter, too!~

Okay so how was this? All reviews (whether criticism, suggestions, simple praise or any other comments) are welcome. And – thanks for reading mmm.

(:


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing~

* * *

**Chapter 10**

* * *

"_Are you going to hit a woman?" Kanda asked. He flexed his arms as if preparing to enter a fight. "A pregnant woman, at that? Even if she is rather weird at times?"_

"_Do not poke your meddlesome nose into my domestic affairs, you twat!"_

"_What did you just call me?" _

"_You bloody arse, just go away! I need some alone time with my girlfriend!" Link spat. _

"_You dare insult me?" Kanda said, and grabbed at Link's collar, pulling the smaller man toward him. _

"_No, Kanda!" Allen cried._

_But it was too late. _

_There was a smash and the sickening crunch of bone, and then she wobbled on her knees, overcome by the stench of blood spilled. _

:::

"Oh, goodness!" Allen cried, slumped on the floor. "What have you done!"

"I hit him," Kanda said, smiling ferociously. "It was his due."

"You bloody bastard," Link said from the ground where he was nursing his broken nose. "I'll get you for that!"

"How, you puny thing?"

"The law is on my side," Link huffed.

Kanda shrugged, trying not to dirty his pants with his bloodied hands. "You were going to hit a woman."

"I never knew you as a model of chivalry before, Yu!" Lavi said from behind them, stepping out into the area. "Well played, that. I was a-watching from behind the scenes, so to speak. I really love this drama."

"Shut it," Kanda said, flipping a crimson finger at Lavi.

"You'll pay for this, on my honour," Link snarled, lips curling back over his white-as-cement teeth. "Just wait. You'll receive my lawyer's letter, and then you won't know what hit you."

"Che."

"And you," Link said, turning to Allen, still clutching at his pale face, "I'm not done with you!"

"Now, don't be hasty and nasty," Lavi began, but Link had already stormed off, teeth gritted and hands bloodied beyond hope. "Well. He's such a bastard. Are you alright, the two of you?"

"If I get thrown into jail…"

"You won't, Kanda," Lavi said confidently. "You won't."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because I'll take on your case." Lavi beamed.

"You're not a criminal lawyer, damn it!" Kanda groaned. "And I refuse to pay you."

"You don't have to pay me, Yu. You were helping to protect Allen, and my child by extension, from that big bad bully. We owe you. And I've never lost a case before. I'm sure of winning even if I'm not a criminal lawyer. Hey, don't look down on me."

"Che."

"That's great, buddy," Lavi said, slinging his arm about Kanda's stiff shoulders. "You're going to be just fine."

"I'm sorry, Kanda," Allen said, her voice a tiny whisper.

She slipped her fingers around one of his clenched fists in a symbol of gratitude for what the man had done, ignoring the clammy feel of the blood-dotted fist. He was her friend, and he had stood by her in times of difficulty. But the man merely grunted and shook her fingers off.

Lavi stared, then shrugged.

"Lenalee won't like this," Kanda said. He drew out a pad of tissue to clean his hands.

"No, she won't," Lavi replied, "but what's done is done. No use crying over spilt milk."

"But – "

"Shhh, Allen," Lavi said. "Yu won't be in any trouble at all. I'll see to it. Panda will help too, if the situation worsens. We'll try for mediation first, if possible."

Allen's face crumpled, and her eyes were hot with sudden tears. She turned her face away, but Lavi and Kanda both caught the drop of her slim shoulders. Kanda made a movement to place his hand on her shoulder in a symbol of comfort, but thought better of it, choosing instead to run his fingers through his long, inky hair.

Lavi saw Kanda's movement, and grinned slightly. But he did not try to tease either of them. "Come now, Allen, it's not your fault. Everything will be just fine, just you wait and see. Now go on, don't you have a business to run? I'll need to speak to Yu and iron out some details with him."

"Okay," Allen said, walking off with her lips clamped firmly together.

"Now, Yu," Lavi said, "that was stupid. Chivalrous, as I said, but stupid. Whatever possessed you to do that?"

"Che." Kanda crossed his arms and looked at a particular spot on the floor.

"We won't get anywhere like this," Lavi said, sighing. He stared at Kanda. "Come with me."

Lavi brought Kanda with him to his office. The door opened with a tinkling sound, and Kanda glared at the door. Lavi pushed Kanda into an untidy office, carefully sidestepping piles of paper.

"Paperwork," he explained. "I don't get much time to pack."

"You're disgusting."

"True," Lavi said, wrinkling his nose. "Now can I get you anything to drink?"

Kanda raised a dark eyebrow and Lavi smiled. "Right. Green tea for you, eh?"

Lavi retreated out of his office, almost knocking over a porcelain vase. "That hideous vase was a gift from Komui!" he shouted by way of explanation.

He soon returned bearing two glasses. "Now let's get down to business, buddy."

"What?"

"I sense something fishy going on."

"You always do. Good nose you have. Could be put to use in the police," Kanda scoffed, drinking his tea.

"Don't be mean, Yu. Now, we first need to establish why you hit Link."

"I felt like it."

"Seriously? I know you're violent and mean and like to fight, but why would you hit that guy for no obvious reason?"

"He was going to hit the Moyashi. Isn't there a law that says that men cannot hit women?" Kanda nodded. "I was standing up for justice."

Lavi almost sniggered. "I've never heard that from you before…"

"Shut the hell up, you idiot Usagi."

Lavi stifled a chortle behind his hands, quickly turning to his tea to hide the smile that still danced about his lips. He wanted so badly to tease Kanda about his possible attraction to Allen, but the awesome Lavi deduced that it wasn't the correct time.

"Okay," Lavi said. "No more distractions. Let's work on building up a solid defence, alright, Yu?"

Kanda gave Lavi _the _look, and Lavi decided that Kanda agreed with him. To some extent, at least.

:::

It was already past seven when Kanda decided that it was time to leave his quiet shop. After half a day spent talking to Lavi, Kanda was ready to throttle the man to death and back again. He didn't really want to bid adieu to the peace he enjoyed alone in his store, but it was time for dinner and Allen was probably tired too.

He walked to her store to check on her, and found the shutters already down. She must already have gone home, he thought, and left.

The walk home was a long one, but Kanda did not mind – he quite liked the feeling of the bitter cold wind against his face. It rejuvenated him, made him feel tranquil and strong and encouraged.

He felt even better when he rounded the bend and saw his house, the lights on in the front room. It gave him a warm feeling deep inside, as if perhaps life was not quite the bed of rocks he thought it was.

Allen was in the kitchen when he entered, and he saw her wrapped in his apron, her too-big stomach jutting out. She was putting the last dish on the table. When she heard his step, she looked up and smiled, though her grey eyes did not seem to take on their normal sheen of contentment.

"Dinner's ready," Allen said. She started untying the apron, but did not really succeed with undoing the knot at her back.

"Do you need help?"

"No, no," she said, struggling to undo the knot. Kanda watched in amusement until the woman finally got the apron off.

"You should have helped," Allen grumbled.

"You told me not to."

"That doesn't mean you don't have to."

"Che. You're becoming all moody again."

"Hello?" Allen said. She pointed in the general direction of her abdomen. "Pregnant lady here?"

They sat down and partook of their meal. As Kanda bit into the chicken cooked with parsley, which, against all odds, he enjoyed tremendously, something hit him like a bat out of hell. When Allen popped the baby out of her, she would leave, and they would no longer be housemates.

Sure, he didn't always enjoy having her as a housemate; the Moyashi could be worth a tonne of annoyance sometimes. Her room was messy at times, and he didn't like the grimy picture she hung there. It was dark and gave him a spine-tingling feeling every time he passed her room. It was as if the picture held a residual part of Allen, as if some of the human darkness in her was captured in the picture of the clown.

Seeing her now, eating hungrily before him, he felt a pang in his heart. It felt strange knowing that someday, the Moyashi with whom he shared two meals a day would move out, and he would be left to his own devices.

He wondered how living alone would feel – maybe Daisya would pop by from time to time, and so would the Bookmans, but it would be different.

In the beginning he had agonized over having Allen as a housemate. He hated her persistence, how she always hung a smile on her face like it was the most natural thing in the whole wicked world. The dark picture she brought with her to his house was the sole inkling he had of her true feelings, which was why he despised her for being a hypocrite.

As always, though, time had changed his perspective. Allen Walker was a girl who lived for others. She paid little heed to her own well-being at times; she was almost a full-blown martyr.

He felt a little off, and started picking at the chicken which he had enthusiastically (as enthusiastically as Kanda could, anyway) gnawed at seconds before. It was not at all pleasant thinking about the Moyashi's departure, which would again plunge him back into lonely bachelorhood.

Of course he didn't mind his quiet lifestyle, but he now wondered if maybe there ought to be something more in life, something hidden in the shadows which he had never quite grasped.

"You okay?" Allen asked, bringing him back to reality.

Kanda glared at her, once again seeing her clear, sea-grey eyes. "Of course. Don't nag, woman."

"So much for kindness…" And then Allen let her fork clatter to the table.

"Temper?"

"Maybe," she said, then picked her fork up and placed another large sliver of chicken into her mouth. "Frustration, more of."

"With me?"

"You flatter yourself, Bakanda." Allen twirled a strand of noodle from the next bowl. "Link. He's bothering me."

"Of course he's bothering you – he's stalking you!"

Allen rolled her eyes. "No, I meant that his presence is bothering me. And you might get convicted."

Kanda felt a cold hard stone settle in his stomach, before he brusquely shoved the thought out of his mind. Lavi was a genius, if an annoying one. He would solve the problem. "There's nothing the Usagi cannot solve."

"So Lavi says…"

"It's true. He's a damned idiot sometimes, but he can do his stuff."

Allen nodded but this time round, no reassuring smile came up. "I don't know. I'm still worried."

Kanda sighed. "Just drop it, alright? It's no big deal."

"It concerns your life –"

"As you said, it's my life, so if I go to jail, then I go to jail. End of the story." Kanda shrugged the matter off, though deep inside him the worry settled, congealing in his stomach, making him almost nauseous with worry.

"Fine," Allen said, lips curving downward. But she passed no further comment, even when Kanda declined to finish the chicken he had seemed to like minutes before.

:::

"How's Allen?" Lenalee asked, twiddling her thumbs and smoothing her skirt – sure signs that she was worried and doing some serious thinking.

"She's fine," Lavi said. "Kanda's the one who's in deep shit."

"Kanda?" Komui asked, coming out of his reverie. He turned around. "Are we talking about the same Kanda here?"

"Yes," Lenalee said.

"Kanda punched a man," said Lavi. "Cause the man wanted to harm Allen, or something like that."

"That," said Komui, "shows how unstable Kanda really is. Now you know why I object to you hobnobbing with such a man, Lenalee!"

Lenalee smiled at Komui. "Yes, but Kanda isn't normally like that. He's gruff and does threaten people at times, but he's quite a good friend, all in all."

"So you say," Komui said, turning back to his Build-Your-Own-Robot manual. "Kanda is a destructive young man."

"He isn't," Lavi said.

Lenalee stared at her nails which were a bright, glossy pink. "Don't you find it surprising –"

"That Kanda stood up for Allen?" Lavi said, finishing the sentence. "Yeah, I so do. It's totally unlike our friend!"

"Maybe," Lenalee said, her expression serious, "maybe he's in love with Allen!"

"Kanda's in love?" Komui looked up with feigned disinterest. "Isn't he asexual? Like Komurin? Reever and Johnny said he might be."

"I told you not to build any more of those monsters, Komui!" cried Lavi indignantly, running a hand through his red hair in frustration. "At least, not in my apartment!"

"I'm only reading the book, Lavi. And anyway, I've never built a robot in your apartment before."

"Stop quarrelling, you two. Let's get back to business. By the way," Lenalee said, "whatever it is that Johnny and Reever told you, it's not true. Kanda isn't asexual."

"Yes, Lenalee," said Lavi. "So Kanda isn't asexual. He's an able-bodied man! Right. Anyway, we have no idea how matters lie now. I can only hope that Link will be amenable to settling it out of court."

"Mediation?" Komui asked. "That's not likely with that man. He likes everything done by the book, through the proper channels."

"And he has Leverrier watching his back," Lavi said, squeezing Lenalee's shoulder lightly as she shuddered upon hearing the name. "And Kanda won't back down 'cause he's just stubborn like that."

"We should be focusing on how to get Kanda to stay out of jail," Lenalee said.

"We will. Don't worry."

"Are you sure, Lavi?" Komui asked. "Maybe you should let Bookman handle the case."

"Hey, I'm a pretty good lawyer!"

"I know," said Komui, "but you don't normally deal with such cases, do you? Don't you specialise in corporate law?"

"I do, but… I have the confidence that we'll all be just fine."

:::

Two agonising days later, Lavi went a-knocking at Kanda's front door.

"What is it?" Kanda said, not bothering to admit Lavi into his house. "What do you want?"

"Oh, Yu, must you do this to your good friend?" Lavi said, shoulders slumping.

"Che," Kanda said, and made to slam the door shut in Lavi's face.

"Wait!" Lavi stuck his foot into the door, jamming it. Kanda released his hold on said door and moved aside. "Come in. And wipe your dirty shoes on the mat."

"Yes mummy!" Lavi said, and dodged as Kanda aimed a fist at him. "That wasn't nice!"

"So?" Kanda said. He walked off, not bothering to see if Lavi was behind him.

"So… I'm here to visit you."

"Hello, Lavi," Allen said, bringing a tray of hot coffee into the front room. "Good to see you again. I hope Lenalee's fine?"

"Yes, she is. Good to see you too! You look radiant, by the way! Yu's treating you well, I'm sure!" Lavi said, earning a vicious glare from Kanda.

Allen shrugged. "Have some coffee. It's cold outside."

"It is," Lavi agreed. "This is good stuff! Kanda can't make coffee for nuts. All he can do is make some disgusting bland green tea."

Allen smiled as Lavi hunched his shoulders dramatically. "Green tea is good for health."

"You aren't becoming a health nut, I hope."

"Did you come here to talk about trivial matters like this?" Kanda asked, his voice harsh.

"No, no. I came to tell you that Link's lawyer said that there's no way they'll settle it out of court. He wants it settled in the courthouse with a judge at the head."

"Che," Kanda said. "I knew it, that bastard."

"And Panda's agreed to help me with it, y'know, so we can increase the odds of you walking away free?"

"Hmph."

"And, Tiedoll's moved back down again."

"What?" Kanda gasped. "Tiedoll? What the hell is he doing here?"

"He's your father, and he's concerned…"

"He's not my damned father, and I don't want him interfering in my affairs!"

"He could pay for your lawyer's fees," Lavi said. "I don't come cheap, y'know."

"I can pay the fees myself!" Kanda raged, his coffee still untouched.

"You're charging him?" Allen asked, raising an eyebrow at Lavi. "He's your friend…"

"Sure, why not? Just a nominal sum Yu, don't get so worked up. A small fee to cover the cost of paperwork and stuff like that."

"I don't want Tiedoll around!"

"You calm down," Allen said. "Be a good boy, now. Don't be rude to your father."

"You sound like his mother," Lavi said, smirking.

"Don't talk about my mother," Kanda hissed. He slammed his cup down on the coffee table before rising swiftly. "You are a bunch of morons."

Allen stared at Kanda's back as he retreated into the inner recesses of his house before turning to Lavi.

He nodded at her perplexed face. "Don't let it bother you. I shouldn't have mentioned anything about his mom. He's sensitive like that. He's an orphan, y'know."

"I know," Allen sighed. "And I know how he must feel. Why can't he open up about it, though? It helps to talk through the loss."

"I'm sorry," Lavi said, patting Allen's shoulder. "But y'know, you're not exactly very open yourself. It's a touchy subject with Kanda. He has only the slightest recollection of his parents, and he's quite sure they died because of him. Or maybe they abandoned him – he's not too sure."

Allen nodded.

"And so you see why Kanda's like this. He's afraid of being hurt, methinks."

"I see…"

"Try to help him while you're here, won't you?" Lavi smiled. "We 've tried. Tiedoll's tried. Not much effect, eh?"

"I'll try what I can," Allen agreed.

"And maybe it'll be good for you, too. Helpful, y'know, to go through the trash from previous years with another person. Therapeutic, I should say."

"Uh huh."

"We owe you one," Lavi said. "I'll be going, then. Take care of yourself and the baby and make Kanda eat dinner, Ms Walker!"

"Sure thing," Allen said, and walked Lavi to the door.

:::

"You're not having dinner?" Allen asked, waiting outside Kanda's locked door.

"Go away," Kanda said.

"I can tell you're sulking. But even sulking people need to eat."

"Just leave some soba out. I'll have it later if I feel like it."

"You're acting so spoilt."

"Just go away!"

So Allen went away and finished her own dinner, famished as she was. Just after she finished her last bite, her phone vibrated and she fished it out from her pocket. The caller's number was not displayed.

"Hello?"

"You think I'll let you go so easily?" a man's voice said.

_Link!_ Allen thought. "What do you want?"

"Oh, so you know who I am?" he sneered. "Good girl."

"What do you want?" she asked, steeling herself. Her voice didn't shake.

"You are my woman," Link said. "Kanda won't get you. And you'll be punished for betraying me!"

"I haven't betrayed you," Allen said. "Kanda and I are innocent. You're the evil one – misdeeds everywhere you go."

"Watch what you say, Allen Walker. I have the upper hand here!"

"The Noahs will help me."

"That puny clan. What can they do?" Link snickered.

"Give up. Justice will prevail. I don't want anything more to do with you!" Allen ended the call, angry tears springing in her eyes. With a resolute hand she wiped them away.

:::

The next day, Kanda looked across the table at Allen during their lunch break. "Are you going for the annual Christmas Party?"

"What Party?" Allen asked. She stared at the hints of shadows below his dark eyes. Hadn't he slept the night before, at all? At any rate, he seemed to have forgotten his anger, and for that she was glad.

"Y'know," Lavi interjected, "the one that Leverrier holds every year before Christmas. It's meant to encourage the shop owners here."

"Leverrier," Lenalee repeated with a shiver. "I hate that man. He's such a cruel person."

"Hmph," Kanda said.

"You should go," Noise said, leading Miranda over to the group of four.

"Miranda!" Allen said. She smiled at the dark-haired woman. "Noise!"

Miranda beamed at all of them, her simple gold band sparkling on her hand. "What were you talking about?"

"The annual Christmas Party," Lenalee said. She lowered her head. "I don't really want to go…"

"Neither do I," Lavi admitted, his hands placed protectively over Lenalee's. "But we have to go, all the same, or Leverrier will take it as a slight upon his honour."

"Are you going?" Allen asked Kanda.

"Che. I have to."

"I don't want to go, either," Allen said.

"You should go," Miranda said.

"But –"

Lavi nodded. "Miranda's right, y'know. You, especially, cannot afford to stay away. Neither can you, Yu."

"I'm going. I'm not afraid of Leverrier and Link," Kanda said, a scowl on his face.

"We'll all go together," Lenalee said. "We'll help each other out through all this, won't we?"

They all nodded, except for Kanda who merely stared at his green tea.

:::

Tyki glanced at the Earl, who was busy plopping many sugar cubes into his coffee. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, and then finally opened it again. "Earl?"

"Yes?"

"Are we going for Leverrier's annual Christmas Party this year?"

"You know we never go," the Earl said, his voice somewhat muffled by his coffee cup. "Why do you ask, Tyki?"

"Yeah, Tyki," Rhode chimed in from where she sat at the side of the pool. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious. I wonder how Allen will be able to go and face Leverrier."

"Oh, Allen…" Rhode said, her brows furrowed.

"Allen Walker? Neah's niece?" the Earl asked.

"That's her," Cyril said, walking over to them. He smiled, showing off his white teeth.

"Where's Trisha, Cyril?" the Earl asked.

"In the house. She's not feeling too well. Well, anyway, what's this about Allen Walker?"

"She's in a tight spot," Tyki said, frowning. He drummed his thin fingers on his lap. "Maybe we should help her."

"We should see how the situation develops first," Cyril said.

The Earl nodded.

"But Master Millennium," Rhode said, "won't you help Allen at all?"

"I will," he said, "when it's time."

"When?" Tyki asked, his tone sceptical.

"We will see," the Earl said.

Tyki and Rhode frowned, but they didn't object.

* * *

A/N: Choppy, much?

Uh. Right I really have no idea where I'm going with the story. Let's just hope this chapter isn't too bad. I'm crossing my fingers!

So yes thank you very much for reading, and please do review if you could spare that bit of time? Criticism and suggestions are more than welcome (:

Btw, I know that Link isn't British, but you know, it's fun to make him sound sort-of British. And he's nicer in the manga, really, but I must have a villain, so yeah. Please forgive me for making him so nasty here :X


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Above him, Kanda could hear Lenalee's excited voice. She really was a nice girl, and one of the few people he could stand, but today he couldn't bear to hear her high-pitched voice. It gave him an ache in his head as the decibels went higher and higher as time wore on.

It was the evening of the Christmas Party, and all hell was set loose in the form of women and finery.

In his bid for some peace away from the two excited women (actually, Allen was her normal self, so it was just Lavi and Lenalee who were excited), Kanda had escaped down to his den in the cellar. He laid his head against the back of his chair and rubbed at his throbbing temples.

The court summons had arrived that very day – Kanda was quite sure that Link had arranged it such that he could see Kanda's devastated face during the party. Quite unfortunately for Link, Kanda's expression hadn't changed the whole day. As always, he had on his _I-don't-give-a-shit-about-this_ expression.

But now, an hour before the party started, Kanda could only rest his head and think about what might come to pass. On the whole he wasn't given to worrying, but today, of all days, the worry had enveloped him and stripped him bare.

The Moyashi hadn't noticed, though, Kanda thought. Whether that was good or not, he didn't quite know. On the one hand, it would boost his ego to see her worrying for him. On the other hand, he didn't want to upset her and the baby (and then, but less consequentially, Lavi and Lenalee).

And - but Kanda could hear footsteps without. Couldn't people leave him alone for a little while? Why did everyone always seem to want to disrupt his alone time?

The door wrenched open, and Lavi stuck his face in. In the dim light, Kanda could see the static crimson of Lavi's hair.

"You ready, Yu?"

"Che, I'm not a girl. I was ready long ago."

"Why didn't you say so, then?"

"I was waiting for you all."

"We were waiting for you!"

Kanda stared in disbelief, but decided not to take the bait, if Lavi so happened to be teasing him. "Fine. Let's go."

Lavi blinked before nodding. "Yeah! Let's go rock, baby!"

"Shut the hell up, you idiot."

"You're such a party-pooper." Lavi linked arms with Kanda as they walked toward the door, and Kanda squirmed inside. On the outside, though, he merely shoved Lavi to the side and took his arm back.

"That wasn't nice," Lenalee said from her position near the front door.

"Yeah, Yu, stop being so mean," Lavi whimpered.

"Are we going, or are we not?"

"We are," Allen said. She smiled, and Kanda felt a warm sensation that swiftly disappeared when he realised that Allen was not smiling at him in particular. He shrugged away both that observation and the uncomfortable feeling that he ought not to have felt anything about the Moyashi's smile.

Kanda drove them all to the hotel where Leverrier was hosting the party. It was a cold night, and the car was warm and snug. Allen sighed and stretched her feet, grimacing as she glanced at the veins that stood out against the pale skin of her legs.

"What's the matter?" Lenalee asked from the backseat.

"I have varicose veins," Allen said.

"I heard that's common for pregnant women," Lavi said. "They're supposed to go away after the birth."

"So you say," Allen replied.

"Che."

"Thanks for your helpful input, Kanda!" Allen told him.

Kanda merely grunted and continued steering the car. "You two behind. Stop acting so lovey-dovey. It's disgusting."

Lenalee blushed, but Lavi merely laughed and placed his arm tighter around Lenalee's shoulders. "Why, jealous, are we? You can hold Allen's hand if she'll let you!"

"You idiot!" Kanda snapped, his eyes focused on the road. He did not want to hold anyone's hands, ever. That was below him.

Allen sighed and rolled her eyes.

:::

They arrived to the cheerful beat of Way Back Into Love, the ditzy tune spiralling above them from the podium where the band sat with their instruments.

"Man, I love this song!" Lavi said, linking arms with Lenalee, bobbing his head in time to the music.

"Me too," she said.

Allen nodded, but Kanda merely sniffed contemptuously at the praise they heaped on the song. "This music is shit."

"You're such a downer," Allen said.

"So?"

"Come on, Yu, smile!" Lavi cried, beaming. "It's a party, so let's get a hell of a good time!"

"I see Marie and Miranda," Allen said, and waved them over.

"Hello, you guys," Marie said. "Have you all seen Leverrier? He's over there. He's grinning like a Cheshire cat, which means something bad must have happened to make him this happy."

Miranda nodded, and traded a worried glance with Allen. The mere mention of Leverrier had dampened the moods of the little group; the roses on Lenalee's cheeks had wilted, and Kanda's jaw was set in a line that was grimmer than usual. Even Lavi seemed a trifle subdued, merely standing still on two legs instead of hopping around like an excited sparrow.

"Well now," Allen said, "why don't we look for some food?"

"Food?" Kanda asked.

"Yes, food!"

"The food's pretty good."

"Yes," Allen agreed, turning to her side, only to realise that the speaker was Leverrier. She reeled. "Mr Leverrier!"

"Miss Walker," Leverrier said, with a stiff nod of his head. His dark eyes glowered with unspoken threats.

Leverrier turned on his heels, baring his teeth at Lenalee and Lavi. His lips slid over his yellow, tobacco-stained teeth, and Lenalee shuddered in Lavi's tight embrace. "How do you do, Lenalee? It's been a long time…"

"Yes, it's been a long tim-time," she stuttered. "Pleasure to meet y-you."

"She's cold," Lavi said. "I'll just take her over to Komui."

They watched Lavi and Lenalee walk over to Komui and Reever, who were debating some point hotly near the food tables. Lenalee's legs were trembling violently, and Allen recalled a passing remark of Lavi's – that Lenalee had had a memorable (in the wrong way) run-in with Leverrier when she was young, and still possessed an unhealthy fear of the man.

Not that Allen blamed her friend, of course. Leverrier was indeed a nasty piece of work.

"The world wags away," Leverrier said, a menacing smile still lingering on his face. His eyes were dark and hungry, and something foul shimmered in them. "How much you all have grown!"

"Che," Kanda said.

"You too, Kanda. Such a strong, handsome young man! Not at all like my weak, sniffling nephew." Leverrier slapped Kanda on the shoulder and chuckled heartily, his face pale and glowing under the fluorescent lamps. "Well I'd best be going, then. You young ones enjoy yourself!"

"I don't like him," Allen said, glaring daggers at Leverrier's back.

"No one does," Kanda said simply. He gestured at the food tables. "Food?"

Allen nodded and the duo left Noise and Miranda.

"Where's your friend Link?" Kanda asked suddenly, his lips curving downwards as he pronounced 'Link'.

"I wouldn't know," Allen said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she glanced at the trays of food laid out on the velvet-draped tables. She took a plate from the stack at the side, and stared listlessly at it.

"Not eating?" Kanda observed. "That's unlike you."

"Suddenly, I don't feel very hungry anymore…"

"Che," Kanda said, reaching for the plate in Allen's hand. He grabbed a pair of tongs and started piling crispy, yellow-golden fish fillets and aromatic baked potatoes onto the plate.

Allen glanced at him absently, somewhat surprised by his actions. Then she turned to stare at Lenalee and Lavi; Lenalee was still wrapped in Lavi's arms in a dim corner. Allen could still see the tremor of Lenalee's legs, even from this distance.

Kanda followed her line of vision. He sighed softly. "She's always like that…"

He didn't sound so much annoyed (at what some others would unkindly suppose to be Lenalee's cowardice) as sad. Allen turned to Kanda, trying to gauge what his tone implied, but he simply shook his head, long hair falling lightly over his shoulders.

"Pardon?"

"Here's your food," he said, thrusting the plate into Allen's hands. "Let's get us a seat."

Kanda led her through the throngs of people until they found a relatively deserted corner.

"Why are we here?" Allen asked, plunging her fork into the unfortunate potatoes. "Shouldn't we be comforting Lenalee?"

"And have you spray crumbs over her?" Kanda asked, clucking his tongue.

"I wouldn't!" Allen protested, lips smeared with butter that oozed from the potatoes.

"The hell you wouldn't." Kanda looked away, scanning the people around them, pleased to find that they were on the edge of the crowd. "Anyway, Lavi's best at handling Lenalee when she gets all cathartic."

"You don't sound very concerned…"

"I am, but I'm not freaking out," Kanda said, directing his dark eyes at Allen. _Unlike you_, his stare said.

"I'm not freaking out."

"Che, I'm not an idiot, you know. Just eat and keep your mouth shut."

Allen scowled but devoted herself to introducing the potatoes and the rest of the food to her stomach, shovelling scoop after scoop and forkful after forkful of food down her slim throat. Then she paused, a morsel of chicken midway to her be-crumbed mouth.

"Why is Lenalee so afraid of Leverrier?"

"What?" Kanda looked up from studying the floor.

"What's so interesting about the floor, Bakanda? I asked you why Lenalee's so frightened of Leverrier."

"Che. Long story."

"Tell me. We've a lot of time on our hands now…"

"I don't want to, Moyashi."

"Please?"

"Quit bugging me."

Allen paused and cocked her head, her white hair falling softly around her thin shoulders. Kanda could see her gold earrings, shaped like bowling pins, glimmer under the soft light of the room, like the first ray of sun glinting off a turf of snow on a wintry morning.

"Please, Kanda?" Allen said. "I want to know. I want to help her."

"You can't even help yourself," he snorted.

"I can help her, if I know. I might be able to help her. Try me."

Kanda shook his head, dark eyes hollow. "No. It's her story."

"Bakanda…" Allen said. She frowned and tugged absently at the hems of her dress. "You don't want to upset the baby, do you?"

Kanda grunted and stared now at the chandelier above their heads.

"Hey! Tell me!"

"Fine!" Kanda growled, his eyes closed in annoyance. He opened one eye slowly. "You're really way too curious."

"Curiosity is good."

"No," Kanda rebutted. "It killed the cat and all that jazz."

"Yeah, just tell me."

"Yeah, well, you know Lenalee's an orphan right?" Kanda asked, grimacing slightly as he mentioned 'orphan'.

"Mmm."

"She was once separated from Komui."

"Okay."

"I know what you're thinking," Kanda growled. "You're thinking, it's no big deal."

"And so?"

"So nothing. It was a big deal to Lenalee back then. She was young and scared and then Leverrier got her removed from Komui and brought to his house because he was their guardian."

Allen shook her head, her cheeks pale beyond measure. "No bloody way."

"Yes. It happened." Kanda glanced at Allen's face and felt shock coursing through him at the whiteness of her skin. "You'd better sit."

Allen moved into the proffered chair and nodded her thanks, half-eaten food still in her shaking hands.

"Then," Kanda continued, "he chained her up when she wouldn't stop crying for her brother."

"Why did he even take her?"

"Who knows?" Kanda replied. "My guess is that he wanted to get some of the Lee family fortunes."

"Did he?"

"No. Komui was presumed dead but he was actually alive and he claimed his inheritance alongside rescuing Lenalee."

"Oh… I never knew the Lees were that rich."

Kanda snorted. "Of course they are. Komui squanders away his money on that shit he calls a company."

"Komui has a company?"

"Yeah, Science Associates. Or something like that. Lousy name."

"I never knew that…"

"Of course you didn't, Moyashi," Kanda said belligerently. "So what can you do for Lenalee, hmm? Was that all empty talk?"

"No," Allen said, finishing the last crumbs left on her plate. "I'm thinking about my options now."

"Your options."

"Yes. My options, and how I can possibly help Lenalee." A glance towards the eastern corner showed that Lenalee had gone, as had Lavi. "Wait, where are they?"

"They went home," Kanda said dismissively. "They do that all the time."

"Why"

"You saw why." Kanda waved his hands in the general direction of Leverrier.

"Right. Sorry, I forgot."

"Allen?" Miranda cut in from behind. "Sorry Kanda."

"Che."

"Don't be mean, you," said Noise from behind them. He was holding a champagne flute in his hand and he waved it at Kanda. "Want some?"

"Champagne," Kanda sniffed. "I'd have sake if I wanted to drink."

Noise shook his head. "Your spots never change."

"Why, are you leaving too?" Allen asked, noticing the fact that Miranda had retrieved her clutch and her grey trench coat.

"Yes, we are," Noise said. "We came over to say goodbye."

"Lenalee and Lavi left," Kanda said.

Noise raised an eyebrow but nodded. "She's traumatised, so they left."

"I know," Kanda said.

"Maybe we should leave too," Allen said.

"Hmph."

"Anyway," Noise continued, ignoring Kanda's dismissive utterance, "we're going back. We're tired, actually, and we don't feel like we should stay."

"Leverrier's not a nice guy," Miranda said, her face glum, chocolate curls swinging over her shoulders. "He's evil!"

"Goodnight," Allen said.

The duo left, and Allen laid aside her now empty plate beside Noise's half-empty glass of champagne. "Should we make a move?"

"I think so. This place is damned awful."

Allen stood up, pushing against the arms of the chair so that she could keep her balance. With a bulging tummy, she found it harder to sit and stand without requiring help. Instinctively, Kanda reached out to pull Allen out of the chair.

"Leaving so soon?" Leverrier asked. Allen almost jumped, but she fought to keep her surprise and shock under control.

"Yes," Kanda answered stoically. "We need to be back home."

"I see," Leverrier said, his stiff moustache bobbing above his upper lip like an old piece of parchment flapping solemnly in the wind.

"Goodnight," Kanda said curtly and pushed past the older man with Allen in tow.

"Goodnight, young ones," Leverrier said, his voice cold and his tone slightly polite. "Though if I were you, I would abstain from what is sinful under the codes that the Lord dictated to us."

Kanda muttered something unintelligible under his breath and gestured for Allen to follow him.

"What was he saying?" Allen asked.

"Some crap."

"Exactly what crap?"

"He's a church elder, you know that. Except that he doesn't believe and he just wants as much power and authority as he can get." Kanda sighed and slid into the car. "Bastard."

Allen gaped before making her round the car to the passenger seat, wrenching the door open with some difficulty. "Not much of a gentleman, are you?"

"Gentleman?" Kanda said, blinking as if he had not quite understood the word.

"Never mind. You have a brain the size of a serpent's egg."

"Che. You need to think of better insults!"

"You're the world's best insult."

"What?" Kanda exclaimed, his dark eyes scanning the rear-view mirror as he pulled out of the parking lot. "I am not, Moyashi."

The girl shrugged.

:::

Back at the Bookmans' apartment, Lavi cradled Lenalee to his chest, holding her tight in his arms in their bed. He smoothed the hair on her head, making comforting noises as his wife clutched at his shirt.

"That man…" she sobbed, trembling against him. Lenalee's skin was cold to the touch, and Lavi pulled the beige sheets further up the bed, enveloping the two of them under soft curtains of warm material.

"You're safe now," Lavi cooed. "No one will hurt you."

Lenalee shivered again, thinking of cold rooms with shadows climbing up the icy walls; of robed men with masked faces and candlelight vigils held just outside her locked room; of sorrowful chants that could possibly raise the dead in a hair-raising spectacle; of watery soup with fishes' eyes swimming round and round in concentric circles; of pain and loss and the fear of finding her brother dead; of being stuck in a tower upon a rampart, waiting to be eaten by a dragon; of a man with a receding hairline and eyes stuck close together and with breath that stank of alcohol and meat.

The nightmares lived again, threading their fingers into her hair, braiding fear into her heart.

Once again she was a young girl kidnapped to a fortified room in a large manor, away from the suffocating air of the house where her parents' corpses slept and putrefied, away from the brother she dearly loved, who she last saw with a trickle of crimson on his face…

Soothing hands rubbed at her shoulders and something warm covered her, and slowly, she noticed the soft light.

She was home, safe with Lavi, and Komui was with Reever and his colleagues. All was well. She took a deep breath, trying to control the sobs that still wrecked her body quite involuntarily.

Then a thought struck her.

"Lav-Lavi," Lenalee said, gasping for air, "will Allen be alright?"

"Allen will be fine, darling," Lavi said, catching hold of Lenalee's hands. He pulled them to his chest and looked into her eyes. "Kanda is with her. Nothing will happen to them."

"Really?" she asked, tears already pooling in her bright eyes.

"Yes," Lavi said, his hands wiping away the tears that dribbled out the sides of her eyes. "He'll look after her."

"I don't want Lev-Leverrier to get them. Not Allen. Not Kanda. Not the baby. Not Brother." She shivered again.

Lavi drew Lenalee close again, his mouth brushing against her silk-smooth hair. "Nothing will happen to them. Cross my heart."

Lenalee managed a watery smile.

:::

The next two weeks passed without much excitement, and the ennui only came to an end when Lenalee proposed a Christmas shopping plan.

"Kanda will be so touched to receive a present!" she cooed, pink fingernails tapping against the sides of her glass.

"Will he?" Allen said, somewhat sceptical. "I thought he doesn't care for presents and festivity."

"He does!" Lavi said. "He was so happy to receive Mugen from Tiedoll!"

"That was many years ago…"

"No, no, he likes presents!" Lavi insisted.

Allen raised a white eyebrow but decided not to argue, instead tapping her toe on the soft carpet in time to the music from the radio.

"Speaking of Kanda, where is he?" Lenalee asked. "He said he was going to the washroom but he's been inside for a while…"

"Talking about me?"

"Kanda!" Lavi shouted and whacked his friend lightly on the shoulders. "Where were you!"

"Washroom, you idiot."

"Anyway, Kanda, we've come up with an awesome plan!" Lenalee told him.

"What plan."

"A Christmas plan!"

"Che. Not that again!"

"You had such a plan before?" Allen asked.

"Yeah, we did it last year. Secret Santa, except it wasn't much of a secret." Lavi shook his head, a slow smile spreading across his face. "But it'll be better this year!"

"No it won't," Kanda said. "Cause it won't even happen."

"Of course it will happen," Lenalee said, glaring at Kanda. "You have a week to go gift shopping."

"Who's my secret Santa?" Lavi asked.

"We'll draw lots," Lenalee said.

"This is a waste of time," Kanda said. "Shit you."

"Language, Kanda," Allen said. "Language."

"Yeah, Yu, don't talk like that. The baby might hear you!" Lavi cried, making frenzied motions with his hands.

"Zip it." Kanda flipped his finger at Lavi.

:::

Christmas Eve came quickly, and the friends gathered at Kanda's house for a quick celebration and gift-exchange ceremony.

The snow fell in drifts outside, burying the house and its neighbours in a sea of white.

"It's not going to stop, is it?" Lavi sighed, glancing out the window.

"Doesn't look like it," Lenalee replied cheerfully. "Maybe we can just sleep over here tonight."

"No you won't."

"Why, Kanda?" Allen asked. "You have another guest room."

"I just don't want to let you stay here."

"Miser," Lavi said, hiding his face and pretending to sulk.

"You fail, Lavi," Lenalee laughed. "He won't refuse, in the end. Let's get on with the celebration!"

They gathered around the dining table, where food aplenty rested in state. Lenalee had baked a chocolate cake, a fruitcake, and a whole tray of brownies, and Lavi had bought a baked and spiced turkey. Kanda deigned to dig some Japanese snacks out of his cellar, and Allen had brought three bottles of special sake from her shop.

"This sure looks good," Lavi said, leaning on one of the tall-backed chairs. "I can't wait to begin the feast!"

"I second that!" Allen said, laughing as her stomach gave a huge rumble.

"You two," Lenalee said, sit down first, shaking her head.

She cut the turkey and dished it out, before remembering that she hadn't said grace.

"It doesn't matter," Kanda said, his voice soft. "We're not practising Christians anyway."

"Think of Leverrier," Lavi said, "holed up in his mansion with Link, eating an almost solitary dinner."

"Serves him right," Kanda said, baring his teeth in an almost-feral grin.

"That's not nice," Allen said disapprovingly. "But I have to agree that it serves him right."

"Uh huh," Lenalee said. "I hope Brother will be alright tonight."

Allen glanced at Lenalee's worried expression. "Where's he, anyway?"

"He's out with Reever and Johnny and the rest. They're partying at some club tonight."

Kanda nearly choked, but didn't. "The hell?"

"They do rest you know," Lenalee said, staring at Kanda. "It's Christmas for heaven's sake!"

"Che."

"Don't make Lenalee angry," Lavi warned, wagging a gravy-painted finger at Kanda.

"Hmph." But Kanda did not continue ribbing Lenalee about Komui.

Meanwhile, Allen lapped up every single drop of food and proceeded to smile beatifically at the rest of them, her plate already clean of crumbs. Not even a single speck of gravy could be seen.

"You sure can eat," Kanda said, sipping daintily at his green tea. "Glutton."

"I'm eating for two."

"You're eating for ten, Moyashi!"

"That's true!" Lavi laughed, then sobered up when Lenalee caught his eye. "Uh. I mean, Kanda, don't tease Allen. Practise chivalry tonight."

"What's chivalry?" Kanda asked. "A disease that you suffer from, Usagi?"

"No," Lavi said, and rolled his one green eye.

"You lot are such morons," Kanda complained. Not that he would ever admit to complaining – but that didn't change the fact that he was indeed whining.

"Come on, Kanda, don't be such a grouse!" Lenalee said. She smiled brightly, the edges of her eyes disappearing into crinkles of skin.

"Desert time!" Lavi shrieked excitedly as he finished his food, scrambling for the cakes.

"Sweet things," Kanda groaned.

"They're nice," Allen said, cutting a large slice of the chocolate cake. "Maybe you should try the fruitcake. It's supposed to be less sweet."

"Aww, that's so sweet, Allen!" Lavi said, taking some time off his busy-looking interaction with the brownies on his plate. "You're thinking about Yu's needs!"

"Pardon?"

"Shut the hell up, Usagi."

"Do us all a favour, please, Lavi," Lenalee said, "and keep your cute and interesting thoughts to yourself."

Lavi pouted, but Lenalee did not budge.

"So… gift exchange?" Lavi said tentatively after a few minutes of silence. He had finished his business with the brownies, and they were now safely ensconced in his stomach.

"Yes," Lenalee nodded, "time for the exchange! Are we all done?"

They were indeed all done, and so Kanda and Lavi cleared away the tableware, leaving Lenalee and Allen at the dining table.

"So what did you buy?" Lenalee asked.

"You'll know soon," Allen replied.

"Let's start!" Lavi said, bursting back into the room. "Me first, please?"

"Sure," Allen said.

Lavi grinned and waltzed to the front of the room, clearing his throat loudly.

"Shut up, you!" Kanda shouted.

"Thanks for the love, Yu!" Lavi returned. "Come up here, Allen! This gift's for you!"

"Shouldn't you walk up to her, Lavi? You're not the one with the baby inside kicking your guts out."

"Yes ma'am!" Lavi gave his wife a mock salute and strode over to Allen's seat, handing over a large package. "Thought you might like this. I'm – we – we're really grateful to you!"

Allen nodded, feeling tears gathering in her eyes. She broke off eye contact with Lavi, looking downwards at her present, her fringe sweeping across her eyes. The colourful wrapping paper reminded her so badly of Mana – of happier times that were now forever behind her.

"You okay, Allen?" Lenalee asked, rubbing her shoulder.

"I'm fine," Allen said, trying to hide the cracking of her voice, and failing miserably.

"You made her cry!" Kanda said, glaring at Lavi with an accusatory eye.

"Sorry, Allen, sorry, you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just really touched," she sniffed.

Lenalee's hand continued to rub soothing circles on her back, and Allen saw Lavi beaming again. From the corner of her eye, she saw Kanda's shoulders relax, a sure sign that his tension had melted away.

"Shall we move on?" Lenalee asked cheerfully.

"You're wasting time," Kanda said, his eyes now baleful.

"Allen, your turn!" Lenalee called. She knew, of course, who would receive a present from Allen, and she watched with baited breath, fingers twiddling slightly at the hem of her short skirt.

Allen nodded, and titled her face toward Kanda. He looked surprised, and an element of shock, somewhat suppressed, was visible on his features.

"Me?" Kanda asked.

"Yeah, you, Bakanda."

"Che," Kanda said, scoffing down his nose. Whatever the case, he shifted his chair so that it was near Allen's. "What is it?"

"Stop being so impatient," Lenalee said, hiding a grin behind her hands.

"Stop lecturing me."

"Kanda," Allen rebuked, "stop being so grouchy, please."

"Your manners are horrid," Lavi said, shaking his fiery red head.

"You're one to speak," Lenalee said, but fondly reached for Lavi's fingers.

"Here," Allen said, "take it." She thrust a black-and-silver package into Kanda's arms.

"What's in it?" Lenalee asked, leaning forward to get a better look.

"Ask him."

"Open it, Yu!"

"Che. Why should I?" Kanda said. He glared at the package and thought about why he shouldn't be excited to receive it. Those thoughts almost succeeded in driving away the blush that gathered on his cheeks – but just barely – and anyway, he wasn't quite sure why he, Kanda Yu (the resident ice king) was blushing fit to tickle Lavi's senses.

"You're blushing, Yu!"

"That's true," Lenalee said, cocking her head to look at Kanda. "You're blushing!"

"His first time receiving a gift from a girl!" Lavi snickered.

"That's not true, I think," Allen said calmly.

Kanda glared at her; how could Allen remain thus unaffected by the situation? If Kanda blushed, then there was no way at all that Allen wouldn't. Or was there?

"He's gotten plenty of gifts before, actually," Lavi recollected. "Especially on Valentine's Day. The lines of girls who queued up to get his attention!" He sighed.

"Hmph."

"That many people liked Kanda? Were they crazy?" Allen asked, grinning.

"You don't know, do you?" Lavi asked, shaking his head. "Of course they were! Only Lenalee here was sane enough to smile at me instead."

Lenalee cast a half-smile at Lavi, but did not deign to reply.

"I'm not opening it," Kanda said, his blush having faded. "So shut your stupid trap."

"Fine," Lavi said, shrugging. "Your turn then, Kanda."

"My gift's for you, Lenalee," Kanda said grudgingly. "Come and get it."

"Why don't you come over here and give it to her, Yu?"

"Come here. And Usagi, shut up or you die!"

"Language, Yu, language." Lavi paused and winked at them all. "Now, Yu, you may look like a girl but you know you can't get pregnant, and I don't see why Lenalee should be threatened into walking over to you."

Kanda hissed and stood up fluidly, the movement of his body fast enough to generate a small breeze.

"No, sit down Kanda!" Lenalee said, motioning for the two to calm down. "Lavi, just get it from him."

Lavi laughed and strode over to Kanda, holding his hands out for Lenalee's gift. Quite unfortunately for him, Kanda had not wrapped the gift, and the individual packets of granola bars within the box fell out as Lavi failed to catch the box in time.

They all stared at the box on the floor, its contents lying around. Lavi sniffed theatrically, then bent over to stow the bars back into the box.

Kanda resisted the urge to kick Lavi in his precarious position, choosing instead to smirk at his friend's undignified pose.

"Oh Lavi," Lenalee sighed. Then she brightened up. "Maybe I can give Lavi his gift in private?"

"You do that," Kanda agreed. He was tired and wanted to return to his room. "He has the keys."

Lenalee nodded, hauling Lavi off to the guestroom they were to sleep in that night. They left Allen and Kanda alone in the dining room, an awkward silence falling fast between them.

Allen glanced at Kanda, and was surprised to see the exhaustion that was displayed over his face.

Usually, he was as hard to read as a closed book left upside down and smeared with stains. Now, however, she could see a flurry of emotions prance through his eyes, and she hoped that she hadn't been the one to trigger them. Maybe Kanda was turned on by the sight of Lavi's ass.

Maybe. With a last curious look, Allen said her goodnight and went off to her room.

In the semi-darkness below, Kanda snuffed the lights out and trudged alone to his dark room, pausing only to stare the petals in his hourglass as he stepped through the threshold of his room. They glowed slightly in the night, and Kanda felt an ache in his heart that he thought he had buried for ever.

From his pocket, he drew Allen's gift out, fingering it with his long fingers, wondering what lay within.

Finally he opened it, and found a warmth stealing up his fingers like a passing gust in the night. His eyes turned to the gift that lay within as he discarded the wrapping paper into the dustbin that sat at the foot of his bed.

He gaped for a second.

* * *

A/N: I hope they weren't too OOC. Though maybe Lenalee was too brusque with Lavi? Or too weak? Idk. And – I'm so sorry for the long wait!

On a side note – can you all see the romance developing? I hope so!

(This chapter is longer than the others by about 1500 words and then some!)

Mmm that's all for now; thanks for reading and reviewing and reviews would be nice (:


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

* * *

_Allen glanced at Kanda, and was surprised to see the exhaustion that was displayed over his face. Usually, he was as hard to read as a closed book left upside down and smeared with stains. Now, however, she could see a flurry of emotions prance through his eyes, and she hoped that she hadn't been the one to trigger them. _

_Maybe Kanda was turned on by the sight of Lavi's ass. _

_Maybe. With a last curious look, Allen said her goodnights and went off to her room._

_In the semi-darkness below, Kanda snuffed the lights out and trudged alone to his dark room, pausing only to stare the petals in his hourglass as he stepped through the threshold of his room. They glowed slightly in the night, and Kanda felt an ache in his heart that he thought he had buried for ever. _

_From his pocket, he drew Allen's gift out, fingering it with his long fingers, wondering what lay within. _

_Finally he opened it, and found a warmth stealing up his fingers like a passing gust in the night. His eyes turned to the gift that lay within as he discarded the wrapping paper into the dustbin that sat at the foot of his bed. _

_He gaped for a second._

:::

He hadn't expected to see a silver four-leaf clover inside. It wasn't a gift that he thought he needed; he got by quite well as it was, and Allen of all people should know that.

Fumbling with the slim token, his fingers brushed against a slip of paper pinned to the bottom of the box.

Kanda moved closer to the window to read the note in the dim light that filtered from the flickering street lamps.

_Dear BaKanda_, it read,

_I hope you like this gift. We are not very different, you and I – we've had plenty of sorrow and more than our proper share of trouble. You mayn't think so, but you need some luck, perhaps to get over the shadows that haunt your soul. _

_Here's wishing you a very good year ahead! Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!_

Allen's words were slightly on the cursive side, with a distinctive flourish that he didn't expect of her. Her words were neat and well-spaced, and he glanced again at the four leaf clover that came from a silver mould.

Where should he put it? Beside his bed? No – he would put it before the mirror, so that the good luck would be reflected many times over.

Then Kanda shook himself. What was he thinking, exactly? He had never been the superstitious sort, and here he was, all ready to turn into the kind of person he hated just because an insignificant girl had given him a four-leaf clover simply because she was his Secret Santa.

I'm going insane, Kanda thought, and then one look at the words at the bottom of the note – _Your loving friend, Allen Walker_ – brought on yet another rush of warmness. He thought he might be blushing, and was glad that the darkness hid his face.

What did it all mean?

The warmth he felt whenever she looked his way, life dancing in her metal-grey eyes, the tingling in his arms whenever their fingers brushed, the subconscious desire to help her and protect her – what did they mean?

Kanda groaned and fell onto his bed, rubbing at his aching eyes and closing them. He sounded like some foolish lovesick hero in a badly-written, clichéd love story. Why was he, Kanda Yu, thinking such thoughts? It was entirely ridiculous.

"This is shit," he said aloud.

Had he fallen in love with the Moyashi? It was quite unlikely, he thought to himself. It couldn't be, could it? He had fallen in love once before, and it had been a heady experience, filled with joy and painful, frightful twists of the heart.

This thing he had with Allen Walker – the shared glances, the easy banter, the flow of insults that neither really meant, the pulse that beat through him when he caught her smile – it was so different from what had happened before.

He was younger then, frequenting nightspots with Lavi and Lenalee, and he'd seen _her_ and fallen irrevocably in love with her.

_Love at first sight_, Lavi had told Tiedoll, earning a good kick for that.

But it was true, in a way.

That girl had been his first love, and she had been beautiful, a full fairy's child. Glossy hair woven from threads of night, lips painted into a red bow, and eyes lined with long lashes; she was the stuff of dreams, and men turned their heads to whistle at the graceful swing of her hips and the elegant dance of her feet.

He had been infatuated, at that time, and wholly unprepared for sorrow. Guarded man as he was, he opened up his heart to her, and for a while, knew something akin to joy.

Now he knew better, and grew wiser in his disillusionment. She had been an image straight out of his secret dreams and desires, and his world almost shattered when her beautiful, porcelain body was broken beneath the screeching wheels of a careening car, skidding on puddles as the drunk driver lost control of the brakes.

He'd spent that awful night kneeling by her body in the mortuary, eyes bulging and cheeks caved in, her white bones protruding from the torn fabric of her skin.

It was then that he knew sorrow again, that he realised that to be human was to grief.

And now he had come to a crossroads again and confusion reigned in his mind.

What of the Moyashi?

Kanda sighed and reached out for his blanket, mind trying to grasp reason through the fog of possibilities that danced heedlessly in his head.

_And when had it begun?_

:::

"Good morning!" Allen said, entering the kitchen with a spring in her step. "It's Christmas!"

"Morning, yo," Lavi said, munching on toast. "It snowed late last night!"

Allen glanced out the kitchen window, beaming as she saw the white sheets that still covered the land without. "It's beautiful."

"It's annoying," Kanda growled, appearing from beyond the counter, tea cup in his hand.

"Happy birthday," Lavi said. "I nearly forgot."

"Me too!" Lenalee said, covering her mouth in shock. "Happy birthday, my dear friend!"

"Thanks," Allen said, smiling, but not quite. Kanda merely inclined his head in her direction, not bothering with small talk or birthday wishes.

"I need coffee," Lavi said.

"Coffee tastes like hell," Kanda remarked, sitting and reaching for his miso soup.

"But I need it," Lavi wheedled, sweeping the remains of his toast onto the floor.

"I saw that!" Kanda said, glaring.

"I'll sweep it out later," Lavi promised, knowing that he would not. "Now, coffee please?"

Allen sighed and pointed to the shelf where the coffee packets were kept.

"Three-in-one," Lavi said, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"Drink it or shut up."

"You're cruel, Yu," Lavi whined, but made his coffee anyway.

"Are you two leaving yet?" Kanda asked, glaring daggers at the cup of coffee.

Lavi breathed deeply, enjoying the rich smell of the coffee fill the room, tingling his senses. "Want us to leave now to give Allen and you more privacy, hmm?"

"No," Kanda growled, his eyes ferocious.

"Boys," Lenalee intervened, "stop fighting. It's too early to fight."

"Lenalee," Lavi said, turning to his wife with a glimmer in his eye, "our friend wants to kick us out of his house!"

"So he does," she said. "We'll leave after Lavi finishes his drink."

"Fine," Lavi said, pouting.

Lenalee beamed at Lavi and Kanda made a choking noise.

"We're really intruding on his company, huh," Lenalee said. "Okay, then we'll go now, seeing as Lavi doesn't seem interested in the rest of the coffee."

Lenalee dragged Lavi away with her, and the two left in the kitchen soon heard the faint purr of a car's engine and then the slight whizz of wheels on snow-clogged roads.

Allen finished her breakfast in silence, before standing to clean up. As she stepped away from the dining table, she was stopped by fingers curling around her wrist.

"Pardon?" she said, glancing down at Kanda's fingers.

Kanda's lips moved, but she heard nothing. Apparently he was mumbling under his breath.

Allen sighed. "You said something?"

"I said," Kanda muttered, more loudly this time, "thank you."

"You're welcome. I ought to do the dishes every now and then, too. The duty can't fall to you all the time, can it?"

"I don't mean that." His grip on her wrist slackened, and she pulled her hand away. It tingled slightly, as if it had received a tiny jolt of electricity through its veins. "Thank you," he said gruffly, "for the gift."

"Oh. The gift."

"Yeah. It was one hell of a useless thing, but thanks."

"Nice of you to say that," Allen said, grinning. "Useless but appreciated, huh? Better than nothing, I suppose.'"

"Pfft," Kanda answered, before sweeping the plates and cups from Allen's skinny arms. "Go sit down or something. I'll wash up."

"Thanks," she said, watching in amazement as Kanda marched to the sink, head held high.

Had he just expressed his gratitude? Was the world coming to an end? Her reverie came to an end when Kanda spoke again, and she found herself very aware of his words and his tone, even the slight sing-song Asian accent that coloured his words even after all this while.

"I'm going to court next month," Kanda said, no feeling in his voice. He had turned around to face her, and his hands were covered in soap.

"When?"

"You don't need to know," he said tartly.

"I bloody well need to know."

Kanda lifted a dark eyebrow, and returned to the soapsuds in the sink.

"Aren't we friends?" Allen asked a plaintive note in her voice.

Kanda frowned, recalling the note he had found within the gift box the night before_. Your loving friend, _Allen, it had said. _Your loving friend_. He found his blood racing, and his heart pumped furiously. Annoyed with his traitorous heart and body, Kanda bent further over the dishes, silky hair swinging over his shoulders and hiding his face.

"You don't seem like you want to talk," Allen said, "so I'll just go off to my room."

"Wait."

"Mmm?"

"Sit down."

There was no response.

"Please," he tried again, in the silence between his heartbeats.

"I'm waiting," Allen said, and she tapped her foot on the ground.

"I don't want to tell you about it," Kanda said, "because I don't want you to be worried."

"What are friends for?"

"Che. The summons said that my court appearance is scheduled three weeks from now."

"Have you told Lavi?"

"I told him a week ago."

"Nice to know I'm appreciated as a friend," Allen grumbled. "But at least you told Lavi."

"Yeah. He's working with Bookman to craft a defence or some other shit."

Allen nodded. "And then?"

"And then what?"

"So, what will you do?"

"Do? I can't do anything."

"That's defeatist," Allen commented. "Quite unlike you."

Kanda shrugged, causing the hair cascading down his shoulders to ripple gently across his broad back.

"I wish you much luck," Allen said, smiling. "I'll go to court with you on that day."

"You have to," Kanda said. He finished the last mug and dumped it into the tray. "Lavi said you're a witness."

"Right. I nearly forgot!" Allen smiled. "I'm really sorry for dragging you into all this trouble."

Kanda nodded, then left the room, leaving Allen alone with her thoughts, some of which were decidedly unpleasant.

:::

Later that day, Kanda stopped Allen just before she retired to sleep.

Stopping her at the threshold of the kitchen, he looked down at her. He was taller than she was, and she could smell the clean, no-fuss fragrance of his hair soap.

"Happy birthday," he said, then walked past her into the main room.

Allen looked at his back in shock, not quite able to believe that kanda Yu of all people had actually wished her a happy birthday.

She smiled.

**:::**

The nightmares started exactly three nights after that.

On the first night, Allen's dreams were filled with her the dancing, shadow-dark images of grey eyes and scaly skin, and an unknown infant catapulted through her dreams, its long fingers reaching out for her.

On the second night, she feared to sleep, but sleep overtook her anyway, and this time round she found herself in a white room, stark as a laboratory, and machines whizzed away beside her. Then she saw _it _again – its devious claws and wide grin with _sharpsharpsharp_ teeth exposed, tiny skull thatched with little patches of soft hair – and it swam amid a foul-looking solution alongside many others of its ilk.

The only thing that differentiated it was its wide grey eyes, fathomless as a sea caught in the furious nets of a winter storm.

She stumbled out of the room as fast as she could, only to see its grinning visage reflected all about her.

That night, she lay awake and counted sheep.

When morning came her eyes were swollen with tears and the knowledge of things lost, and Kanda saw the shadows clouding her eyes and the pallor of her skin, and was worried.

On the third night she took coffee before bedtime, and struggled to stay awake. Again, she slipped into the world of nightmares and paced an isolated plateau with a grinning shred of moon overhead.

There was nothing there – just the tired howl of a far-away wind; just the scuttle of a family of mice; just the mumblings of someone contemplating sin; just the sound of waves breaking ice.

She stood there all alone, the last vestige of humanity in that entire dreary moor, tethered to the ground by a sickening anchor of fear.

Then she heard it, a mere patter of tiny feet behind her, and she turned, but found only the sickly pools of sleepy moonlight dancing around her. Then the patter of feet came again, and there was a cold wind about her unshod feet –

An infant giggled before her, lying on the ground, swaddled in blood and what looked like entrails. It grinned, mouth stretching from a tiny bow into a wispy shadow of a guillotine, and its little teeth gleamed red. Beside the infant stood a man in a great coat threaded with tendrils of crimson, and he wore a top hat. She'd seen that top hat before…

And she cried out for him, for the man who had saved her, for the man who had loved her. She cried out for Mana, knowing that it was him from the shape of his back and the slope of his bent shoulders.

The man did not turn, but the baby slithered across the ground like a train in winter, now visible and now hidden in the creeping white mist.

Then it reached her.

With sharp nails it reached for the hems of her gauzy skirt, and Allen felt a thrill of fear run through her, rooting her further to the ground.

She thought to scream.

She woke to the sound of someone's breath hot against her brow, and she groaned, feeling a deep ache inside of her, working its way to her heart.

"Don't cry," that someone said, holding her tight, warm breath tickling her temples.

She caught the next sob before it escaped her, biting her lips in confusion. What had happened? Hadn't she been trapped in the moonlit moor, away from everything that kept her safe and secure?

She shook her head, and the someone relaxed his hold on her, allowing her to ease gently back into the pillows.

"Kanda?" Allen said, her voice still unsteady. Her throat felt like it had been scrapped dry. "What happened? Why are you here?"

"You cried out."

"I cried out…"

"You okay?" Kanda asked, releasing her, and Allen wanted to cry out, to tell him that she wanted him to hold her until everything felt better. But she bit her lip and stared the other way.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I'm fine."

"Liar." His breath was raspy and his voice hoarse, as if he'd just woken from sleep. "Tell the truth."

"I'm fine." Then Allen realised that there was a stale smell in the room, as if something rotten had just been strewn across the floor, removed from the hidden recesses of a decaying world. "What's that smell?"

"It's you, you idiot. What, you thought I had stale breath?" Kanda reached out and held out a bunch of Allen's hair before her nose, smiling wryly as she recoiled.

Then she realised that the back of her throat felt constricted as if a python sat coiled around it, and a sour taste zigzagged across her tongue.

"You retched."

"Bloody hell!"

"So tell me what's wrong."

"I stink, that's what."

"You aren't going to tell me?" Kanda asked. His voice was strangely jovial, not grumpy as he might be from being woken at such an ungodly hour. "Fine. We'll get you clean first."

He helped her out of bed; it was cold, and the floor bit at her exposed ankles, the cold wind swirling at their feet.

"Wash your hair, Moyashi. That's where the damned stench comes from."

Allen rinsed her mouth with tap water, trying to get rid of the awful taste in her mouth. When she finally succeeded, she turned to the showerhead.

"Aren't you getting out?" Allen asked.

"Do you think you can wash your own hair in this state?" he asked, with his dark eyebrows raised.

"Yes-no."

"Yes or no?"

"No," Allen admitted, fidgeting slightly.

"So I'll wash it for you."

"But – "

"You're annoyingly noisy, Moyashi." Kanda indicated a stool located at the side. "Sit there."

Allen wasn't quite sure what was going on, but she ventured to lower her weight onto the stool, glad not to stand on her swollen feet. Kanda held a towel out to her.

The towel was thick, and it was soft; it felt like she was holding a cloud in her hands.

"What are you doing? Put it on."

Allen grumbled under her breath, and slipped the towel around her slim shoulders. The towel, weightless as it was, felt like a thick shawl.

"Finally," Kanda complained. "Took you long enough."

"Don't be such a grouch, Bakanda."

"Lean back."

"Yes milady."

Kanda made a non-committal noise in his throat, but stepped behind the stool. Switching on the showerhead, he tested the temperature of the water, holding his hand under the stream of water until he felt that it was sufficiently warm. Then he doused Allen's hair with the water, doing it so carefully that her clothes did not become wet.

"Don't move," he warned, moving off to get the shampoo.

The smell of her shampoo calmed Allen down. The tangy whiff of the orange and green tea herbal infusion soothed her frazzled nerves, and then she felt Kanda spread the lather over her hair, massaging her scalp skilfully with his strong, dynamic fingers.

She breathed. She loved the scent of her shampoo; it always reminded her of lazy holidays in resorts built to maximise one's exposure to golden beaches and sleepy seas. She'd worked in such a resort before when Cross still lived in Bali, and she'd envied the tourists their time in the sun while she slaved at cleaning their rooms and shaking out their sheets.

Until now, the fragrance of the citrus fruit and the traditional tea still brought to mind the picture of a picturesque environment, with herself sprawled on a deck chair, an emblem of joy and contentment.

With strong fingers smoothening out her worries with every rub of her scalp, she did feel slightly contented at the moment.

"You're good at this," Allen said. "Why? Don't you wash your hair with soap?"

"Che, don't be stupid. Soap and shampoo are the same."

"Hmm."

"You just need to know how to massage the scalp."

"And you know that?"

"You think?" Kanda scoffed, his fingers continuing their gentle dance across her scalp. "What do you think I'm doing right now? Baking?"

"Did you just try to crack a joke?"

"No."

"Right. I knew you wouldn't ever do something like that."

"Done insulting me?"

"I'm not insulting you. Stop being so bloody sensitive!"

Kanda removed his fingers from Allen's be-shampooed hair.

"Are you angry?" she asked.

"No," he said, reaching behind him. "I'm getting the showerhead."

The shower was switched on, and Allen felt the warm water flow between the strands of her hair, removing the dirt and leaving behind the faintest smell of something calming, as if it were washing away the nightmares that still clung to her hair, knotted within the keratin fibres.

"Washing your hair is a good way to relieve tension," Kanda said. His words cut through the silence that hung between them, and Allen blanched.

"I never expected you to ever say something like that."

"Derision."

"No, that's not it, Bakanda. It's just not in your nature to say this."

Kanda did not deign to reply, opting to remain silent as he rinsed the shampoo out of Allen's hair.

"Done," he said at last, wrapping another white towel around her hair.

"Did you ever work at a salon?"

"No."

"Strange. I could swear that your hands are as skilful as my hairstylist."

"Che. I'm just a normal guy."

"You?" Allen laughed. "Normal?"

"I'm better than average."

"You're deluded, my friend!" Allen stood up and felt her legs freeze under the sudden weight. "Bloody legs."

"The perks of being pregnant," Kanda commented, helping Allen out of the bathroom, leading her toward the bed.

Allen sat heavily, feeling large and awkward. "I don't quite like being this big."

"You should have thought of that before you agreed to carry the baby."

"Thanks for the advice and concern," Allen said, trying to cross her legs and failing miserably.

"Now you're clean and dry," Kanda said, "I'll change the bed sheets."

"I'm sitting on the bed."

"So get off it."

Allen rolled her eyes but got off the bed, holding onto the bedside cabinet to support the bulk at her middle. She watched as Kanda pulled the sheet off the bed in one fluid motion, the sheet flying off in a sweeping arc, landing softly on the fall where it splayed outwards to form a flowing pattern.

Then Kanda stuck another sheet on top of the bed, wrapping it around the mattress with remarkable efficiency.

"You're good," she said.

"I do this all the time." His tone was acerbic, and Allen frowned. "I'm done. You can sit again."

"Don't switch off the light, please," Allen said as Kanda picked up the sheet and prepared to leave the room.

Kanda turned to face her, and she could see the surprise lurking behind the empty screens of his eyes.

"I don't want to be left alone in the dark. So please leave the lights on!" Allen shivered involuntarily.

"The nightmares?"

"Yes."

"Fine," Kanda said. He walked out of the room, leaving Allen alone, once again, with her thoughts and memories of things lost.

It'd happened so long ago, so long ago… when she made her decision she did not think that it would haunt her all her life. It had not been an easy decision, but she knew it was the right one.

But then the aftermath shook her.

Mana left that very day, and sometimes she wondered if maybe the one led to the other. Did it? That question was not one that could ever be answered, but still she pondered, dragging her fears and her regrets through her dreams night after night.

She could still remember that dreadful evening – leaving the clinic to a crimson sky, winds howling in her ears, and then the screech of cars as they fought to beat the traffic lights. Then, a cry as sudden as a summer squall rent her heart.

She recognised that beloved voice, even though, at that instant, it was little more than the sound of nails pulled across a wall of cement.

The cry wrenched at her heart, and she turned toward the source of the commotion. It lay some streets back, but she could see the gathering crowds from where she stood. Heedless of her condition, she started to run, clutching at her abdomen when the cramps came.

The streets were short, but she started to pant, her heart racing beyond belief even as she struggled to push her way through the people at the scene. It seemed to take an eternity, almost as if she were swimming through a sea of jelly that pushed and shoved back at her every time she tried to cut a way through, but at long last she emerged and stood before the sidewalk.

"Mana!" she cried, and collapsed beside the man.

"Allen," he said, and his face was as white as the setting moon. His jaw was set in a firm line, but there was an underlying quiver to them that caused Allen no little anxiety.

"What happened?" she asked, wanting to keep him with her, to keep him talking, to keep him awake with air in his lungs.

He merely strained to reach out for her hands. "No matter what, Allen, my child, keep walking."

"Call an ambulance!" she shrieked, glancing at the passers-by. "Call the police!"

Some people whipped out their cell phones, but by then the buzz of their words seemed far away. She turned her attention back to Mana and the pool of dark blood beneath his head.

"Mana! Stay with me!"

"I'm sorry," he said, cheeks sunken. "Keep walking, Allen."

Then she started sobbing on the street, all composure lost, because she had lost two people on the very same day. One she had killed, and the other was taken away from her. Was it divine punishment, she wondered?

The police came in due time, took the statements of witnesses, but the rogue automobile that had knocked her beloved foster father down had long fled the scene. No one, it seemed, had caught the numbers on the car-plate, and hence the killer would be lost to justice forever.

That was her darkest night.

She went home to a dark apartment, windows shuttered and laced with shadows like the eyes of an old mansion with secrets to keep and ancient heresies to remember. She prepared dinner because she felt so weak she might faint, keeping her head down and the tears out of her eyes as she placed spoonful after forkful of the tasteless, bland food into her mouth.

When she looked up again, the tears came.

The realisation that Mana would never again comfort her through her sorrows, that he would never again sit in the chair opposite hers – the chair that he had carved himself out of a piece of oak he'd bought from the market – triggered the tears that had been building up ever since she had stopped sobbing earlier that day.

The empty chair at the dinner table, and the absence of the sound of shuffling feet that she associated with Mana's comforting presence grew heavy on her, the grief sitting like a rock on her chest, pressing down on her stomach. She succumbed to tears again, curling up in a ball beside the sofa, racked with sobs and trying to feel her way through the haze that now ensconced her being.

That night, she cried for those she had lost even as the darkness waxed and waned outside those shuttered windows. When morning came, she dried her tears and went about the necessary business.

"Why are you crying again?"

Allen looked up, her painful reverie broken. Kanda stood at the door, two cups in hand, the refreshing scent of green tea wafting toward her.

"I'm not crying," she said, touching her cheeks for good measure. To her horror, they were wet.

"Che," Kanda said, setting his cup down on her dresser and holding out the tissue box to her.

Allen took the tissue box from his hand, quickly wiping away the traces of tears from her cheeks.

"What's wrong with you today?"

"Nothing."

"The hell you think nothing's wrong? You're crying."

"Look, Kanda, just bloody leave me alone for a while."

Kanda shook his head, his eyes dark and empty, and he drew the stool from her dresser toward the bed. Allen watched the man calmly sip at his tea, and she knew that he would not leave her room till he got what he set out to achieve.

A part of her didn't want to tell him what was eating her; it wanted to bury the past and sever whatever links the past had to the present.

But another part of her wanted to tell him about Mana and the unborn child that she had carried for two months. It wanted him to know about her past, to accept her for whatever she had done in the past no matter the morality of it all.

Above all, that part of her wanted her to understand that the past could never be totally dissociated from the present, and that sometimes the echoes of the past would intertwine themselves into the fabric of the now and the thread of tomorrow, and that only outside help could untangle all the knots left in place.

So she made her decision.

"Do you know," Allen asked, reaching out for the other cup Kanda had brought in, "do you know what it's like to lose a child?"

"You asked me that before," Kanda said.

"I did? When?"

"When you came home drunk."

"Right," Allen said, shifting uncomfortably on the bed. She tucked her legs under her and drew the soft covers up to her chin.

"What is it like?" Kanda asked.

"Pardon?"

"What is it like to lose a child?"

"That depends," Allen said, "on whether losing the child is a conscious decision. It depends on who made the decision. Sometimes, fate makes the decision. Sometimes, you do."

"You aborted the child?"

Allen turned her head from him, and he could see the tears forming at the rim of her eyes, and the grief rising within those grey depths.

"Yes."

* * *

A/N: Salutations!

Hurray this chapter is done! It was pretty slow-going at first, and I got stuck at the Christmas part. But it proceeded well enough once I got to the nightmares part.

So… was Kanda OOC? Idk. Anyway – thanks for reading and reviewing, and watch out for the HTH talk between Kanda and Allen in the next chapter!

This was influenced in part by John Connolly's The White Road, which, believe me, is a really awesome book.

Reviews would be nice! (:


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

* * *

"_What is it like?" Kanda asked._

"_Pardon?"_

"_What is it like to lose a child?"_

"_That depends," Allen said, "on whether losing the child is a conscious decision. It depends on who made the decision. Sometimes, fate makes the decision. Sometimes, you do."_

"_You aborted the child?"_

_Allen turned her head from him, and he could see the tears forming at the rim of her eyes, and the grief rising within those grey depths. _

"_Yes."_

:::

"Why?" he asked. There was no change in his tone; it was perfectly normal, as if he were talking about the expiry date of a packet of soba.

"Why?" Allen repeated. "Bloody good question. I've asked myself that same question many times. I still don't have a good answer…"

She trailed off at that point, and in the absence of speech there bloomed a silence devoid of colour.

Kanda sipped at his green tea and said nothing, choosing instead to let the silence weigh heavily on them.

"I'm an orphan," Allen finally said.

"So am I."

"My first memory is of an orphanage," Allen said. She shifted slightly under the blanket, as if she found it uncomfortable to remember the past. Which she probably did.

"There were lots of kids there… there wasn't ever such a thing as privacy. That said, the matron and the people at the orphanage were nice. I was never once mistreated the way Oliver Twist was."

"Who the shit's Oliver Twist?" Kanda interrupted.

Allen shook her head gently. "Never mind, you uncultured boor."

"Che. Stop being so hoity-toity, Moyashi."

"Anyway," Allen continued, "like I said, we were treated well. The matron made sure all of us had enough food and clean clothes and we were never whipped.

"Then one day, some men came over to the house we occupied, and they started breaking things and shouting. Turned out the funds had run low. They closed the place down, and the rest of us had nowhere to go.

"I remember it was the day the matron got sick, because I carried a bowl of soup to her the morning those men came with their sticks and dogs.

"That was when I met Mana."

"What's that?"

"You mean 'who's that'," Allen said gently. "He was my foster father."

"Hmm."

"He was a clown back then, and we crossed paths in a park near the orphanage. The men had scattered us crying children and sent us on our ways with nothing but the clothes on our back. There I was, a dirty, snot-faced child, halfway to a full-blown display of tears, and then I saw this man with a red nose."

"Red nose?"

"Clowns have red noses," Allen explained. "It's part of their costume."

Kanda shrugged to indicate disinterest. "Go on."

"Somehow we started talking, and I played with his dog. It was such a cute little thing, though kind of scrawny…"

"Sounds like you."

"You're mean, you know that?" Allen said, her grey eyes glinting but showing no palpable sign of hurt.

"Sorry."

"You apologised!"

"I do have some damned manners, in case you were wondering."

"Has the sky fallen down?" Allen asked, allowing a tint of sarcasm to slip into her voice. Then she smiled. "Apology accepted."

"As it should be," Kanda snorted.

"Hmph," Allen answered.

"And then?" Kanda prompted somewhat reluctantly. "What happened?"

"What happened? We had a good long talk, and then suddenly he asked if I wanted a home. I said yes, and well, you know. I went with him. He treated me so gently and so nicely. Even the staff at the orphanage had never shown me such concern."

"Because they were too busy."

"Yes, they were. I know that. But Mana loved me, really truly loved me. I experienced family life because of him. I met my Uncle Neah – "

"Damned Noah," Kanda growled, glaring at his green tea.

"Noah though he might have been," Allen said, her voice slightly louder than before, "he was still a good man."

"A rich one."

"Yes, a rich one," Allen agreed. "He used to bring me little gifts."

"Che."

"Mana accepted me and loved me despite all my defects. He never made a mean remark about my scar or my hair, or my arm, even. It was so new to me, at that time…"

Kanda felt tempted to add that he himself hadn't insulted her because of her so-called defects (if he had, he couldn't remember it now), but checked himself so as not to interrupt Allen.

"I had a lovely time with Mana. But you know, a child grows up… we try to rebel and stuff like that."

Kanda nodded.

"I had this childhood friend called Narein. He lived in India."

"How the hell did you get to know a person who lived in India?" Kanda looked so surprised that Allen wanted to laugh.

"Cross was a friend of Mana's, and we once visited him in India. He had this mistress there and she had a really big house. So I met Narein who lived nearby, and we played together, and when I went back, we wrote to each other every fortnight.

"We were as close as could be.

"One day, when we were sixteen, he came over to England. I met him at the airport, and you know, drove him to our house. He was boarding with Mana and me."

"And then?" Kanda asked.

"And then we had a great time together. I brought him to the touristy places, showed him the souvenir shops and he had great fun trying to mimic the British accent. Things were great," Allen said, her grey eyes misting over as she remembered the fun times she had spent with her best childhood buddy.

"One night, we went to a pub nearby. I wasn't legal and neither was he, but my friends Tyki and Rhode – who were Uncle Neah's friends and business associates – had shown me how to obtain fake documentations. So you know, we were young and giddy and we got ourselves some fake IDs and got ourselves into the pub."

"I can't believe it," Kanda said.

"I still remember that they served really great food. I had a great dinner that night; sausages and hash browns and steak and some good old bakes potatoes drizzled with light butter…"

"Glutton," Kanda muttered. "The hell do you remember such things?"

Allen shook her head wistfully. "The food was plenty awesome."

"You're weird," Kanda said.

"Thanks for reminding me," Allen said. "We even had a couple of beers. It was cheap enough for two teenagers on a budget. The best thing was that Mana wasn't going to be home that night, so we thought we could have some fun."

"You got drunk," Kanda said.

"We got drunk. Not dead drunk, but drunk enough to slur our speech and the like. Somehow we got home.

"The house was dark when we entered, except for the moonlight when it streamed in. my bedroom was beside Narein's, and so we walked up the stairs together, clinging to each other for support. We brushed against each other quite often, and you know, we were a young male and a young female."

"Hormonally imbalanced," Kanda said, his eyes mere slits. Allen, looking at his face, wondered if he was channelling unspoken disapproval.

"Maybe," she returned. "Weren't you ever like that, or perhaps you've never loved anyone?"

Anger flared in Kanda's dark eyes, like lightning chasing dark clouds.

"I'm sorry," Allen said, sensing his fury. "I didn't mean to…"

"Just go on," he said, not unkindly.

"Right," she said. "He entered my room with me, for reasons I don't know, and we just stared at each other for a moment. We were bathed in silver light…"

"Are you trying to be a poet?"

"Bloody shut up," Allen said.

Kanda crossed his arms in answer.

"Then he kissed me. I knew he wanted me… It felt strange, being wanted. I was often treated as an outcast back in school because of my appearance. Being drunk helped, I suppose."

"So you…"

"Yeah. When I woke the next morning I realised what we'd done. Narein was lying in my bed and we were both stark naked.

"It was kind of embarrassing and I felt like I'd done something sinful. I woke Narein and we tried to act like nothing had happened. After that, he left, and I haven't spoken to him since."

"Is that why you're so upset?" Kanda asked, trying to quell the rising tide of uneasiness in his stomach.

"No," Allen said. "That part's about to come.

"So, you know, I didn't tell Mana what happened. I was too ashamed of myself. Then one month passed and I didn't get my monthly bleeding. I didn't bother with it too much because my monthlies are pretty irregular since my weight's on the wrong side of healthy.

"Then the second month passed. Nothing came, there was no bleeding.

"My appetite changed slightly; I still ate a whole lot, but whenever I looked at certain food I felt nauseous. I started to get worried and I kept thinking back to that night with Narein. I was naïve but I wasn't stupid. I knew what could happen… then I bought a pregnancy test kit at a shop five streets away and hid in the bathroom when Mana was out."

"The test came back positive," Kanda said.

"That's right. It did. I just sat there for hours thinking about it. I didn't know what to do. I was only sixteen and I didn't want a child. And I didn't love Narein, not that way. I didn't want to break Mana's heart, either."

"So you – "

"I finally made up my mind. Two days later, I headed to an abortion clinic within the town."

Allen paused at this point to assess Kanda's reaction. One too many people had looked askance at her when she talked about abortion, and she didn't feel that she could stand up to more scrutiny and more disgust from those around her, from those she cared about, from those she believed cared for her.

Kanda returned her gaze, his dark eyes unreadable and flecked with what seemed like curiosity. There was nothing hostile in his actions, nothing to suggest that he despised her for her actions.

"I had some money I saved up from working part-time, so I just walked in and registered."

"It must have been painful. And lonely," Kanda managed.

"Yes," Allen said simply, "it was."

"You went alone?"

"Who was there to go with me? No one knew my secret. I lay there and signed the papers and the doctor didn't ask any questions. It was an uncomfortable procedure…

"I lay there on the hard table and felt the baby being sucked out of me. It was an awful feeling. I could almost hear its cries as its life left its tiny body. I thought about what I was doing but by then it was too late for regrets.

"They showed me the body after it was done."

"Did you bury it?"

"I gave it to them for research. It was so small, so vulnerable, and I murdered it."

A half-sob escaped her lips, and Allen looked down, unable to meet Kanda's dark eyes. She soon felt reassuring warmth being placed into the half-moons of her hands, and knew that Kanda was trying to comfort her in his way.

She brought the cup to her lips and drained the last of the still-warm tea.

"I'll get us some more," Kanda said. He took the two cups with him, giving her a last unfathomable look.

Allen sat alone on her bed. She rested her palms flat on the curve of her abdomen, feeling the life kick within her. Those little grey eyes were lost to her forevermore, and the weight of its lost pressed down heavily on her chest, constricting her throat –

And then she felt something warm in her hands again. Kanda was back from the kitchen.

"That's quick," she said, and Kanda saw the fear and regret in her eyes.

"Go on," he said.

"I still find it hard to talk about my little lost baby," Allen said. "I wish I never did it. I wish… I wish I hadn't murdered it."

"It wasn't murder," Kanda said.

"It was! Killing a little innocent baby for my own selfish reasons…"

"You were not ready to raise a child."

"I could have, if I tried! Don't you see, Kanda?" Allen's eyes burned with self-hatred. "I could have looked after my child! But I didn't! I chose the easy way out. I wanted freedom, I wanted to do my own things, I wanted to live and to love as I saw fit. I didn't want a little baby tying me down!"

"Many people feel that way about children."

"But they don't do away with their children, do they? I murdered my baby!"

"Che."

"Some nights," Allen continued, her voice much subdued, "I still see little grey eyes in my dreams."

"How do you know your baby had grey eyes?"

"Curious, aren't you?" Allen asked, weariness evident in her tone and in the bags under her eyes. "I asked them… the doctors, I mean. I wanted to know a little about her, so that I could remember her in my dreams and in my heart."

"That's how you know it was a her and not a him."

"Yeah, that's how I know. But it doesn't help knowing, don't you see!"

"I don't."

"I keep seeing those features of hers in my dreams. It got so bad that I decided I should give surrogacy a try. To try and atone… did you think I really chose to help a childless couple for money?"

"Yeah."

"You thought wrong. The money's helpful, I admit. But I did it to erase some of the guilt!"

"It's over. There's nothing you can do… your father would not have wanted you to – "

"The thing is," Allen interrupted, "he never did know what I did. When I left the clinic that evening, he was a few streets away, right in front of a car. That car did not stop for him."

"Oh," Kanda said, and found that it was quite an insubstantial reply.

"He died on the spot. I ran over and saw him..."

"That must have been terrible," Kanda agreed.

"I still wonder now if Mana would have condoned my actions. Do you know why I screamed just now?"

"You had a nightmare."

"Yeah, I did. I often have nightmares. I found myself stranded on some moor, and there was nothing. Suddenly there was this baby at my feet, and it had these big grey eyes. Just like my little girl. And Mana was there… his back was turned to me. He didn't respond when I called his name.

"He probably met her in the afterlife, and now he knows what I did. Now he knows… the last ten years have been full of agony."

"You had no choice at that time," Kanda said, his eyes hard.

"Sometimes I wonder if maybe my actions killed Mana. Maybe it was karma. I took the baby's life away, and so the higher powers took Mana away from me."

"Stop thinking that way. Your father would want you to move on."

"But – "

"He loved you," Kanda said. "No matter what, he would have forgiven you if he had been alive."

"Maybe," Allen said. "That's why I'm a surrogate now. I want to atone. To atone for my sins."

"You're so sure they're sins? And atoning is a powerful word. Too powerful."

"I don't know," Allen said. "I just want to try and do something to ease my guilt. I got rid of the vulnerable little child, when out in the world there're so many couples trying so hard to conceive. I should have just carried her to term and put her up for adoption. And of course I still blame myself for Mana's death. I'm quite sure it's my fault one way or another…"

She placed the empty cup of green tea on the bedside table. A silence descended between them, and Allen wondered if they would be able to maintain their friendship now that Kanda knew about the dark skeletons that hid in her closet.

"I know how you feel," Kanda said at last, breaking the silence. "A woman I loved… she died in a car accident too."

"Car accident?" Allen asked, and stared at Kanda. Surprise now took over guilt and unhappiness, and she sat up straighter to hear the story. "You actually had a girlfriend before?"

Kanda stared at her, and Allen gulped. "I mean, not that you're unattractive or anything, but you don't seem the type to form such attachments."

Kanda shrugged, and the thick sweater he was wearing rippled about his shoulders. "Her name was Alma."

"That's a nice name," Allen said. "You must have been heartbroken after she died."

"I was, I suppose," Kanda said, wriggling slightly in his chair. He refused to look at Allen and she could swear the man was blushing.

"You suppose!" Allen echoed.

"Fine, Moyashi, I loved her, happy?"

"Go on, then." Allen almost beamed.

"I've known Lavi and Lenalee for a long time already," Kanda began.

"What has it got to do with them?"

"Shut up and listen," Kanda snapped. "We used to go out to bars and party and drink. Komui never did know. Nor did Bookman actually. Nor Tiedoll."

"Bloody hell," Allen said. "I find that hard to believe, somehow. Komui would know, at least, wouldn't he? He seems the type to hire a private eye to keep track of Lenalee. For her own safety, of course."

"He didn't know. If he did, he didn't stop us."

Allen's eyes widened slightly, but she nodded. "I get your point."

"I was seventeen when I saw her. Alma." Kanda threw a quick glance at Allen before plunging his head down again. "She was beautiful."

"Beautiful?"

"Yeah. She was beautiful. She was of mixed race, and she looked a little like the Usagi. Sharp features and all that shit."

"It doesn't sound like shit to me."

"Shut the hell up. She was beautiful."

"I get it. Get on with the story already!"

"Lavi went up to them and chatted up one of Alma's friends. He said she was hot. I thought she was slutty, and so I ignored them."

"And you stared at Alma."

"How did you know?" Kanda asked, glancing at Allen.

She shrugged, and the top of the blanket slid off her shoulders and came to rest upon her abdomen. "You wouldn't have spoken to Alma. You'd have looked at her. Stared, I mean."

"Che. I stared. So what?"

"So stop acting like a boor and continue!"

"I was a young guy and she was a pretty girl and she smiled at me. Lenalee said it was love at first sight."

"It probably was," Allen agreed.

"We talked, and later we realised that we were once neighbours. I used to live in Paris before my parents died, and there was this little girl across the road who would build little sand castles with me in the playground nearby. That was her.

"Being with her opened me up some. The Usagi said I became less unfriendly and more… mellow?

"We were together for about a year. Then the crash happened."

Allen automatically reached out to grasp Kanda's hands, squeezing them gently in an act of consolation.

"I was across the road, waiting for her to join me. I saw the damned car first, and I shouted. But she didn't hear me!"

Allen nodded . "That must have been terrible. Watching your loved one die before you."

"I saw her broken body. The driver got into deep shit, but it was nothing compared to what happened to us. We could have been happy. I could have become somebody else… somebody willing to believe in happiness."

"You could still try to reach out for some happiness."

"I don't want to. It's better like this. Happiness brings agony too. And humans are such ugly creatures!"

Allen shrunk back instinctively from the venom in Kanda's voice. Even his eyes seemed to burn with a strange intensity, an intensity that distilled from pure hatred and contempt for the actions of man.

He shook his head. "I don't believe in happiness anymore. Nor in human nature. I just want to get through life."

"Tiedoll's a good man. Didn't he help you?"

"That dipshit – "

"You can't call him a dipshit!" Allen exclaimed, horrified.

"I can if I want to. Freedom of expression and all that shit. Tiedoll's given me all I need. But he can never replace my parents. And I'm not sure I want those idiots back in my life, anyway, even if they could come back."

"Why are you so cynical?"

"Try living my life. See if you can still be so damned cheery and weird."

"My life hasn't exactly been a bed of roses," Allen said. "I haven't given up hope, though."

"Oh yeah?" Kanda said.

"Yeah," Allen repeated.

"That's how life is," Kanda said. "It goes on. And you just have to accept all the shit that's thrown at you."

"When life gives you lemons," Allen quoted, "you make lemonade."

"I don't drink lemonade," Kanda said.

Allen smiled and shook her head. "You're missing the point."

"No, I'm not. Lemonade tastes like shit."

"You're such an idiot sometimes, Bakanda."

"Stop calling me that," Kanda said, frowning. "You're messing with my sleep cycle, Moyashi."

"You're the one that decided to come in with green tea."

"You're the one who told a damned long story."

"Fine. Go back to bed." Allen waved her hands airily towards the door.

"I think I sure as hell will," Kanda said, walking to the door with the empty cups. "You sure you'll be okay?"

"Yeah."

"Che." He paused at the door and looked back, his dark, long hair swaying gently against his back. "I'll leave the hall light on."

:::

"Wake up!" Kanda shouted.

Allen heard him from a faraway place and tried to leave dreamland. She had had a good night's sleep after the heart-to-heart talk the night before, and now she felt much better. Little grey eyes no longer haunted her sleeping hours, and men in top hats left her alone when she drifted off into the land of lullabies.

Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she sat up in bed. Kanda stood in the doorway, his hair in a bit of a mess.

"Whaz the matter?" she asked, trying to sound coherent.

'It's time to wake up!"

"Time?"

A quick glance at her bedside clock showed her that it was already nine in the morning, and the sun was already high in the sky.

"Bloody hell!" Allen exclaimed, fighting her way out of bed.

Kanda disappeared from the doorway, leaving behind only the slightest scent of soap. Meanwhile, Allen hurried to wash up.

Within half an hour they had finished breakfast and were within Kanda's car as he hurtled down the roads towards the mall.

"How much income have I missed?" moaned Allen, leaning her head against the glass window.

"It's your own fault," snapped Kanda, gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly as he manoeuvred a turn.

"My fault? How so?"

"You lost us both some sleep last night!"

"You could have chosen to block out the noise!"

"Oh yeah?" But deep down, Kanda knew he couldn't possibly have blocked out the keening that issued from Allen's room the night before. The cries had woken him and worry drove him toward her door.

In other words, Kanda was in love.

:::

"Allen!" Rhode cried, running toward the counter. "I haven't seen you in so long!"

"Great to see you too," Allen said, as Rhode hugged her tightly. "It's only been a fortnight, though."

"Glad you missed me, too," Tyki said, deftly sitting on a nearby stool. "It's okay, I'm fine. Carry on with your hugging and gushing." He winked.

"Tyki," Allen said, smiling at him. "It's good to see you too! Where have the two of you been, though? You've been away the past two weeks. Skinn told me you went abroad?"

"Yeah!" Rhode said jubilantly, flopping down daintily onto another stool. "We went to Italy!"

"We went with Cyril," Tyki said. "He wanted me to translate for him. I think he forgot that I speak Portuguese, not Italian"

Allen laughed as Tyki made a face. "How was it? Did you enjoy the sun and beaches?"

"There was no sun," Rhode complained. "It was snowing!"

"There were some hot girls there, though," Tyki commented.

"I don't need to hear about your fantasies, Tyki!" Allen said, and Rhode nodded her assent.

"Uh, anyway," Tyki said, clearing his throat, "we have something else to talk about."

Rhode and Tyki proceeded to share what was meant to be a meaningful look. Allen glanced at both of them, unsure of what was going on.

"It's like this," Rhode said. "We've talked to Master Millennium about you."

"He doesn't like Leverrier, either," Tyki said.

"We have a plan," Rhode continued. "To help you out.

"And that is?"

"The Earl's willing to pay Leverrier to get him to settle the issue out of court. The Earl will provide the money, no questions asked. We don't really give a damn about who's right and who's wrong, and anyway we're on your side," Tyki said.

"And the catch is?"

"Why do you think there'll be a catch?" Rhode asked, her face falling. "We're your friends! Do you doubt our good intentions?"

"There's no such thing as a free lunch, that much I know," Allen said. Her grey eyes twinkled. "Even friends… can't always be trusted now, can they?"

"You think so lowly of us," Tyki said, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Then he snapped his golden eyes open. "But you're right. There is a catch."

"I knew it."

"It's not a bad trade-off," Rhode said. "Please say yes!"

"You're putting the cart before the horse," Allen said. "What is the plan, exactly?"

"I always thought it was 'putting the horse before the cart'," Tyki said, scratching at his stubble.

"You're hopeless,' Rhode said. She shot Tyki a disappointed look. "That's such a simple saying and you can mess it up?"

"Hey – you rely on me to help with your accounts!"

"Maybe that's why Wisely always tells me that they don't add up, hmm?"

"Shut up, Rhode-child. Let's tell Allen here about the perfect plan."

"Yeah, pray go on," Allen said. "You two are such drama queens sometimes."

"I'm not female," Tyki said, leaning back and pulling a cigar out of his pocket. "So I'm a drama king!"

"Stop being such a man-whore, Tyki," Rhode said. "I really can't believe that Italian girl actually spent the night with you…"

"What? Tyki have you been keeping something from me? I thought we were best friends?" Allen said, fixing Tyki with an accusing glare. Then she turned to Rhode. "Rhode – do you actually know the meaning of man-whore?"

"No," Rhode said. She shrugged her slim shoulders. "I heard Devitto use it before, though. I like the sound of it!" She beamed.

Tyki raised a hand. "Sorry, Allen dear. It sort-of-maybe slipped my mind to tell you about my tryst – and _wait_. How did you even know about it, Rhode?"

"I spied on you. I saw you two prancing about naked – "

"I think that's quite enough," Allen groaned. "I don't really want to hear about it…"

"Are you jealous?" Tyki asked, wagging his cigar at her. Unlit as it was, it looked as though he'd sprouted an extra finger, albeit one that looked somewhat papery. "Just 'cause you can't get it on with your darling Kanda, hmm?"

"Pardon?" Allen said, finding the temperature unbearable. Really, she had to stop piling on layer after layer. It wasn't that cold in the shop.

"Are you blushing?" Rhode asked, tilting her head to the side. She tapped her fingers on her chin. "Yes, I think you are."

"Don't tease the poor girl," Tyki said. "She's pregnant. Give her a break."

"And you're smoking," Rhode said. "Isn't smoke bad for pregnant ladies?"

"I'm not. If you can't see, my dear Rhode, I'm _chewing_ on the end of my cigar."

"Shut up," Rhode said, looking away from her uncle.

"Yeah, back to business," Tyki agreed. "Well, Allen. Like I said, the Earl's willing to pay Leverrier to keep Link from suing Kanda Yu. But… that's only if you're willing to join us. Take over Neah's place."

"Join you?" Allen asked, her face pale. "I… what about Judgement?"

"Your main concern isn't Judgement, is it?" Rhode asked. Her eyes glimmered slightly under the warm glow of the orange lamp nearby. "You don't want to leave your other friends. You don't want to leave Kanda."

"Maybe," Allen said, shifting uncomfortably in her chair, unwilling to face the two Noahs. The wine bottles had never looked so artistic.

"It's written all over your face," Tyki laughed. "You're in love, Allen-child."

"I'm not," she protested, shaking her hands.

"You so are," Rhode said. "I knew it!"

"Kanda and Allen, sitting in a tree," Tyki chimed solemnly. Then he broke into another laugh.

"How old are you?" Allen asked, irate. She was _not_ in love with anybody.

"Somebody's touchy!" Tyki teased, but stopped when he saw the torrents of fury building up in Allen's grey eyes. "Sorry about that."

Allen nodded. "It's okay."

"So… will you at least consider the plan?"

"Course she will. Won't you, Allen?" Rhode asked.

"I… I think I will. Maybe. Probably. I wish I knew what to do."

"You poor girl," Tyki said. He took her hands and pressed them. "Good luck deciding, yeah? No pressure, really."

"Can it wait?" Allen asked. "Can it wait until the trial is over?"

"Sure, if you want to delay it…" Tyki said, looking uncertainly at Rhode.

"Yeah, you can," Rhode said with a decisive nod of her head.

"Thanks. I'm glad to have friends like you…"

:::

The next two weeks passed in a blur. Lavi spent half his days in Kanda's shop, going through his defense plan with Kanda.

While the men hunted for loopholes in the law, Lenalee and Allen went shopping for the baby's clothes. Allen nodded and smiled as Lenalee held up items, but refrained from commenting as much as possible. The baby might reside in her womb, but it was, strictly speaking, Lenalee and Lavi's child.

Within that two weeks, tempers flared and Kanda became more grouchy than ever. Allen received a letter that summoned her to the witness box for Kanda's upcoming trial, and Lenalee and Komui had many discussions over the possible outcomes of the trial and the ways they could help remove some obstacles.

All too soon, the dreaded day dawned.

Allen woke first that morning. It was freezing when the alarm clock's ringing cut into her dreams, and the cold air stung her hand as she reached out to hit the snooze button. She badly wanted to just curl up beneath the blanket and return to sleep, but then she remembered that it was her fault that Kanda was in trouble.

Groaning, she pulled herself up, wincing as the cold seeped into her feet as she made her way toward the bathroom.

By the time Kanda was up, breakfast was already on the stove.

"The hell?" he said as he stepped into the kitchen.

"I thought you might want a good, hot breakfast," Allen said.

"What's that?" Kanda asked, looking at his plate with disdain.

"I figured something hot would be good… and soba's boring. So you can try fried mushrooms and eggs today."

"Hmm."

"They smell good!" Allen said defensively, placing the frying pan into the dishwasher. She stared at the table and at Kanda.

Kanda shook his head, then sat down. He looked at his food, sighed, and then reached out for Allen.

"Sit," he said. "What are you waiting for? It'll be a damned long day. Eat."

"Yeah, thanks," Allen said, picking up her fork. As she devoured her meal, she felt the warmth of Kanda's hands still lingering upon the patch of skin he touched earlier.

:::

Komui arrived to pick them up slightly after eight.

Kanda looked distastefully at the bright and shiny car, and sniffed.

"Get in!" Komui said cheerfully.

"I hate your car," Kanda said. He glared at the automobile one last time, before sliding onto the back seat beside Allen.

"You always say that!" Komui said, and then they were off.

"Where are Lenalee and Lavi?" Allen asked.

"They'll meet us there!" Komui said, half-turning in the driver's seat to face them.

"Eyes on the road!" Kanda bellowed, fingering his tie.

Komui turned his head back to the road, and the next ten minutes flew by in silence. Then the court building loomed ahead, all white stone and marble columns.

Kanda groaned under his breath, and Allen heard him. Meanwhile, Komui calculated the likelihood of the judge being cowed by his Komurin. At the same time, Lavi walked hand-in-hand with Lenalee toward Komui's yellow car, whistling lightly and swinging his briefcase.

Bookman smoked by the door, where Leverrier nodded at him. Link brushed past them all.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

A/N: Finally done with this (: what do you think? I don't think the first part is intense enough. I might rewrite it. Maybe.

Yuka: Yes I do read the reviews and I appreciate the fact that you take the time to comment. So thanks! (: And… that story sounds interesting!

vampire-charmer-101: sorry I couldn't reply you but thanks and yeah baby dolls are really creepy!

So thanks for reading and reviews would be nice (:


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Or anything, actually.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

* * *

_Komui turned his head back to the road, and the next ten minutes flew by in silence. Then the court building loomed ahead, all white stone and marble columns. _

_Kanda groaned under his breath, and Allen heard him. Meanwhile, Komui calculated the likelihood of the judge being cowed by his Komurin. At the same time, Lavi walked hand-in-hand with Lenalee toward Komui's yellow car, whistling lightly and swinging his briefcase._

_Bookman smoked by the door, where Leverrier nodded at him. Link brushed past them all. _

_It was going to be a long day. _

:::

It was cold in the courtroom, as if someone had forgotten that winter still lay over the land and had consequently switched the heater off.

Allen shivered slightly, trying to find a comfortable sitting position on the hard seats behind the witnesses' stand. Lenalee was behind her, equally uncomfortable, but having noticed Allen's discomfort, she reached down to pat the younger girl's shoulder.

"Thanks," Allen said, turning her head toward Lenalee by a fraction.

"It'll be okay," Lenalee said, squeezing Allen's shoulder.

One of the clerks at the front stood up, and thrust his sharp chin toward the people sitting below. "Court rise."

Allen rose uncertainly, her hands moving protectively to rub against her abdomen. She saw the judge walk in, his rotund body made even rounder by the thick ceremonial cloak he wore. Across the room, Link glowered at her, his eyes mere lines in the map that was his face.

Now, come to think of it, she hated his face. She had never truly loved him, although she did like him when they started their relationship. Gradually, though, whatever romance that once existed between them fizzled out, and she wanted to break away from him. It seemed to her that being with him stifled her. He was something of a control freak, always wanting to know where she was, what she was doing and who she was with.

Even the most passionate couple couldn't last with obstacles like that. And they had never been near the pinnacle of passion, anyway. He was too stiff to know passion, and she too full of anguish to embrace it.

Theirs was a make-believe tale moulded from mutual need. They met one fateful night in the catacombs of despair – he believed that his uncle was dying and she was horribly frustrated with the huge stack of new bills that Cross had just presented to her that morning.

They met under a swirling disco ball.

The next morning, they found themselves tangled together, naked as the day they were born, white, pristine hotel sheets covering them, but only just barely.

Somehow they got together. They lasted happily for about half a year before Allen stopped loving Link, but then she could never find a way to break up with him. He didn't love her properly, of that she was sure – he was too possessive, too incensed with her when she did something he didn't approve of.

Allen was quite sure that he only lusted after her. He needed an outlet for his desire, and she provided it, though somewhat reluctantly.

She didn't feel at all guilty that she remained in a relationship with him purely because to leave him would incur his wrath and prevent her from paying off Cross's many debts. Breaking up was not an option, and while she knew that her actions were unethical, she didn't feel the least guilty.

Then he left, saying that Leverrier was sending him on a business trip. That was when she decided to act as a surrogate. Link knew that she had suffered some unhappiness in her past, but he had never bothered to get the details from her. His lack of sensitivity she found callous, but in its absence she found herself free to get certain things done.

Like getting pregnant.

"Allen Walker?"

Allen looked up. One of the justice clerks stood before her, his face lined with wrinkles. His eyes were cold.

"Yes?" she said.

"Please take the witness's stand. I hope I will not have to address you thrice again before you deign to take note of what I say."

"I'm sorry," she said, making her slow way to the stand. At that moment, she felt a strong dislike for Link course through her veins.

"Please swear on the bible," the judge said.

Allen placed her palm on the bible on the stand. She could feel the raised lettering of the words on the cover of the book; they somehow felt like little ants trying to call up her skin. She shivered slightly. "I, Allen Walker, hereby swear to uphold justice and to tell only the truth."

"Let's make this quick," the judge said, "because the witness is pregnant and therefore, I think, cannot stand for too long."

"Yes, Your Honour," the prosecutor said. "Now, you are Miss Allen Walker?"

"Yes."

"You were there on the day of the fight?"

"Yes."

"Did Kanda Yu hit my client?"

"Yes he did, but –"

"So my client was hit by the accused?"

"Yes, but –"

"Where did he hit my client?"

"On the nose. But –"

"I hope you know, Miss Walker, that causing intentional harm to another is an offence!"

"I –"

"I'm done, Your Honour," the prosecutor said, walking back to the desk where Link sat.

Allen followed the man's path, despair hanging heavily on her. He hadn't given her a chance to explain anything! She hadn't managed to explain that Kanda had hit Link because Link appeared to be about to hit her – she hadn't managed to help Kanda at all.

Link glared at her from where he sat, a small smirk sitting smugly on his face. Allen clenched her fists and turned resolutely to face the front. She stared at the judge's white wig, trying to stop thinking about strangling Link.

"Miss Walker," Lavi said, standing before her. "Now I will ask you some questions."

"Yes."

"Did my client hit Mr Howard Link for no reason, or did he do it upon being provoked?"

"Yes- yes. He did. He was provoked."

"What happened?"

"Link was trying to pull me away, and I didn't want to go. So… Link got angry. He clenched his fists and Kanda got agitated. Then Link insulted Kanda, so…"

"I see. I will ask you one more time: the assault was provoked?"

"That's right," Allen said. She nodded.

"Thank you, Your Honour," Lavi said. "That is all."

"Please return to your seat, Miss Walker," the clerk said.

Allen fumbled her way back to her seat, her mind half fogged-over with despair and confusion. Behind her, Lenalee again reached forward to squeeze her shoulder, and she acknowledged the other's concern by turning and smiling.

"The plaintiff will now be called to the stand."

Link walked stiffly toward the stand, his yellow hair still pulled into a thick braid. His eyes were narrowed and his shoulders were thrust back as straight as they could be. In Allen's opinion he looked like a toy soldier sold in toy stores, and she wondered anew what she could ever have seen in him.

The prosecutor nodded at Link. "Did the defendant hit you on that day?"

"Yes, it was him who hit me."

"Was it provoked?"

"No it was not. I was trying to settle a domestic dispute with my girlfriend, and he intervened."

"And your girlfriend is Miss Walker?"

"Yes, that's her," Link said, shooting a furious look in Allen's direction. "Kanda Yu had no right to interfere."

"What was the dispute about?"

"About her cohabitating with Kanda," Link said, venom thrusting through his words.

"It looks like you had sufficient reason to be angry with her. And so she got Kanda to hit you?"

"No. He hit me. I have no quarrel with Allen. I just want to get back together with her and continue our happy days together."

Allen crumbled inside. Now that she had known days of true happiness, she did not particularly want to return to Link's side. Their romance was long over, and only the strings of possessiveness (on Link's part tied her to him.

"Mr Howard Link," Lavi said, as the prosecutor returned to his desk, "Did you provoke my client?"

"No."

"The witness Miss Walker said you did."

"I was merely trying to take her away."

"Against her wishes. My client merely wished," said Lavi, green eye burning bright like a falling star, "to help Miss Walker out because it seemed like she was in a difficult position."

"What happened between her and me was none of Kanda Yu's concern! She's my girlfriend! I have the right to talk to her in private."

"Possessiveness brings only misery," Lavi said. "I have completed my examination of the plaintiff, Your Honour."

"The defendant will now be called to the stand," the clerk called.

Allen sat up straight and watched as Kanda moved swiftly toward the stand, his long dark hair rippling down his broad back. Anxiety washed over her, and she again placed her hands on her swollen abdomen, as if doing so could provide Kanda a talisman against what was to come.

'Do you know that it is an offense to assault another man, Mr Kanda Yu?" the prosecutor asked.

Kanda looked up, and his dark eyes were hollow. "Yes."

"You still hit my client despite knowing that the law disapproves of violence," the prosecutor said. "This shows a complete disregard for the law!"

"No –"

"No?'

"You little dipshit –"

"Language, Mr Kanda," warned the judge.

"Sorry," Kanda said, his head held high.

"You were cohabitating with Miss Walker?" the prosecutor asked.

"No."

"Do you understand the meaning of cohabit, Mr Kanda?" the prosecutor asked. "I ask you again – were you cohabitating with Miss Walker?"

"No."

"Ah, but you were living in the same house!"

"Your Honour," Lavi said, "I object to this question!"

"Please keep to the subject in hand," the judge told the prosecutor, who glowered.

Then Lavi took up the questioning, and Allen remembered to breathe properly.

"Were you just looking out for Miss Walker?"

"Yes."

"Are you and Miss Walker in a relationship?"

"No."

"So you were just trying to lend a helping hand to Miss Walker on the day of the incident, am I right? You were trying to help her because you felt that Mr Link was being too forceful?"

"Yes."

"Your Honour," Lavi said respectfully to the judge, "I am done."

"We will take a break while the jury considers the verdict," said the judge.

:::

"The jury has reached a decision," the judge said. "Due to insufficient evidence, court is now adjoined. The next hearing will be in two months."

Lenalee helped Allen up, and they held each other for a few seconds. Both were relieved that Kanda had not yet been sentenced to jail. Together, they made their way to the desk where Kanda and Lavi sat.

"The ordeal's over for today," Lavi said. He leaned back and beamed at them all. "I thought I was pretty good myself, today."

"You were," Lenalee said, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. "You were brilliant, and I'm proud of you."

Kanda made a gagging sound, and Lavi disentangled him from Lenalee to smile at his friend. "Are you envious, Yu? If you want to, you could always ask Allen here to give you a kiss too."

"What?" spluttered Allen.

"You piece of shit!" Kanda said, his eyes burning with fury.

"Hey, calm down man. I saved your ass today, so please try to act like you appreciate it," Lavi said.

"Shit you!" Kanda said, but kept his hands to himself instead of placing them around Lavi's neck.

"Look out," Lenalee warned, and they looked up to see Link headed their way.

"You'll pay for this!" Link hissed as he passed them. "Damn you all."

Kanda flipped his finger at Link's back, and Allen cast her gaze downwards, unable to meet anyone's eyes.

"Maybe we should head outside?" Lenalee suggested, anxious to rush Link's words out of their minds.

"Komui's waiting for us outside," Lavi said.

Kanda immediately stood up and moved toward the door without so much as a backward glance at them.

Allen looked apologetically at the Bookmans. "He's just like that. He's probably too proud to say thank you."

"We know that," Lenalee said. "You don't have to worry that we'll take offence."

"Yeah, we know Yu like the back of our hands," Lavi agreed. Then he looked at Allen and frowned. "Why are you speaking up for him, suddenly, hmm?"

"Stop teasing Allen," Lenalee chided. "Now let's go!"

As they left the courtroom, none of them noticed the blonde woman who was observing them from the audience's seats. The woman moved swiftly toward the door, drawing a pair of over-sized sunglasses from her Burberry bag.

She paused at the door, sunglasses already perched on the bridge of her nose. Half-hidden by the lattices of the door, she observed the four getting into a car driven by none other than Komui Lee.

She remained hidden behind the door until the car was far away. Only then did she emerge into the weak sunlight. Pulling her trench coat tighter around herself, she whipped her iphone from her pocket and dialled a number.

"Hello? Who's this?"

"It's me. They've gone. I can email you the details of the trial as soon as I get back to the office."

"Why don't you drop by tonight? We can all discuss this over dinner. Tyki and Skin will be heading over too."

"Yes, Master."

"See you in the evening, Lulu Bell! Good work."

:::

The glory of the setting sun was lost on Lulu Bell as she walked up the pathway to the Earl's mansion. She looked straight ahead, blonde hair straight and glossy, her bright eyes ignoring the luscious tints of the rose bushes lining the path. Her ears only heard the slight clicks of her heels, and not the chirping of birds as they prepared to nest for the night.

"Lulu Bell!"

The woman turned. "Tyki."

"You're here," Tyki said. "You look good in this suit." He winked.

"I always do," she said.

"How did the trial go?"

"Later."

"Secretive, as always."

"Why ask if you know?"

"True," Tyki said. He opened the front door with a flourish, gesturing for Lulu Bell to go first.

"Lulu Bell," the Earl said, meeting them in the hallway, "and Tyki. Dinner's about to start!"

The three of them moved toward the dining room, where the other Noahs were already seated.

"I want to hear about the trial!" Rhode shouted.

"Me too!" said Debitto.

"Me three!" cried Jasdero, grinning madly and pulling at his yellow hair.

"All in good time," the Earl said. "Let them get some food into them first!"

Then dinner commenced, and nothing important was spoken of until dessert was over.

"Can we start now?" Tyki asked. "I have other business to take care of."

"It went badly," Lulu Bell said. "I don't think they can win. They won't be able to win."

"That bad?" Tyki asked.

"Yes."

"You're very, very sure?" the Earl asked.

"Yes, Master."

"Should we take the initiative, then?" Wisely asked.

The Earl pondered the point for a moment. "Rhode and Tyki will have to ask Allen Walker to join us again. If she agrees, then we move."

"She will say yes," said Lulu Bell, "if you tell her that by joining us she can save Kanda Yu from languishing in jail."

"Yes, that might work," said the Earl.

"We'll ask her, then," Tyki said. "Though I can't imagine the man languishing in jail."

"Good boy," the Earl said.

"If there's nothing else, then I'll leave." Tyki pushed back his chair and stood up, walking away, his footsteps firm and calm against the marble floor.

"He's taking it badly," Wisely observed.

"We're Allen's good friends," Rhode said. "He feels bad that we're taking advantage of her situation to get her into Noah's Ark."

"Don't you feel bad?" Debitto asked.

"Yes. And no."

"It's just that Tyki takes things too seriously, sometimes," Sheril said. "He'll come round in the end."

:::

The day after the trial, Allen was busy tottering around Judgement, wiping at any specks of dust the might lie on the shelves.

"Allen."

She turned to find Tyki leaning against the counter, his dark hair curling around his forehead.

"What're you doing here? Weren't you busy?"

"I came to see my best female friend!"

"Right," Allen said. "If you're so free… help me dust the top of the shelves. I can't reach them."

"You're short," Tyki said, smirking. He took the duster anyway.

"So… you have something to say?" Allen asked, watching as Tyki wiped at the grooves along the shelves. "You wouldn't be here if you had nothing to say to me."

"Yeah."

"It's about the offer?"

"Smart girl."

"Well?"

"We heard about the trial. The odds are not in your favour, yes?"

"But… there was an adjournment…"

"It just means Kanda Yu's safe for now. The jury's likely to vote him guilty 'cause they're afraid of Leverrier. And strictly speaking, they're kind of prejudiced. Bigots, the lot. They'll support Link 'cause he has money."

"No!"

"Uh-uh," Tyki said. "Snobbery still exists today, my friend. It's subtle, but it's there, believe me."

"No…"

"Yes. All the Noahs think so – and trust me, we've been to plenty of trials before. We know what's done and what's not."

"But –"

"If you agree to join us, the Earl will pay Leverrier off. Link won't be able to continue suing Kanda and your friend will be safe. You join us in return. That's not such a bad deal."

"I…"

"We all like you. Jasdevi are especially excited at the thought of you joining us. Consider it? Both sides gain."

Allen sat down. It was true – Kanda would not have to be jailed if Link dropped the case. She wanted Kanda to be safe and happy (if he could be happy). And the Noahs were indeed nice to her. Maybe she should…

"I'll accept the offer,' Allen said, not looking at Tyki.

"That's great!"

"Give the Earl my thanks. And could I start work only after I deliver this child?"

"That'll be good," Tyki said. He reached over and squeezed her hands. "Welcome to the Noah family. You've made a wise choice indeed, Allen."

Allen merely nodded. When Tyki left, she was still in the same chair, legs tucked under the base of the chair and lips pressed together. Passers-by would have thought it strange to see a pregnant woman sitting in a fixed position without moving, but they didn't see the stranger thing.

Beneath her white fringe, tears flowed down eyes closed tightly together.

She didn't really want to leave.

But she had to. For Kanda's sake.

:::

"Mr Leverrier, sir?" the butler said, bending by the large armchair beside the fireplace. "There's a man outside. He wants to see you."

"I'm not free," Leverrier said, flipping through a magazine laconically.

"I'm sorry sir, but the gentleman said it was urgent. He called himself the messenger of the Earl."

"The Earl?" Leverrier said. "Could it be the Earl of Millennium?"

The butler did not reply, opting to stand beside the chair with his head down.

"Invite him in," Leverrier said at last.

It was a cold day, and to be honest Leverrier could not think of a better way of spending such an evening other than sipping wine by his fireplace, with magazines sitting on the floor waiting to be read.

However, while Leverrier was the chairman of a property firm, the Earl was a renowned (and somewhat notorious) businessman. It would have been rude to deny entry to his messenger – and anyway, Leverrier was interested in finding out exactly what the Earl had to say to him.

Soon, he heard soft footfalls outside his study. Someone knocked on the large wooden door.

"Come in."

A man entered. He was dressed in a suit, with a top hat thrown in to complete the picture. His dark, curly hair reached past his chin.

"Tyki MIkk, at your service," the man said, nodding at Leverrier.

"Ahh. Tyki Mikk. Pleased to meet you. What business does the Earl have with me?"

"The Earl has only one business with you. That of the trial."

"The trial?" Leverrier asked, pulling at the ends of his tooth-brush moustache.

"Yes, the trial that your nephew is waging against Kanda Yu."

"My nephew can sue anyone he likes, Mr Mikk. This is a fair world."

"This might be a fair world, but money still makes the world go round, don't you agree?"

"Yes," Leverrier said through pursed lips. "But at the same time, sometimes money is insufficient to deal with insults to one's honour."

"But can an insult to one's honour weigh the same as the loss of one's entire fortune?"

There was an awkward silence, and Leverrier fidgeted in his chair. "Do take a seat, Mr Mikk."

Tyki nodded and took the chair opposite Leverrier's. "Nice place you have here. Pity to lose it all just for the sake of avenging an insult."

"I do not understand what you are saying."

Tyki studied Leverrier's face. It was splotched with liver spots and lined with wrinkles, and he could see the faintest trace of sweat appearing around the man's angry red cheeks.

"Do you not?" Tyki asked. "But fine, let us leave the game of riddles and go on to speak in plain words."

Leverrier frowned.

"The Earl is willing to vanquish you should you allow your nephew to continue suing Kanda Yu. Do you understand?"

"I – we –"

"No, sir, you do not understand. If you wish to live like this –" Tyki indicated the rest of the luxuriously-decorated room with his hands, "then you have to co-operate with us."

"I do not have to do any such thing!" Leverrier cried, anger burning his cheeks.

"No, you don't have to. But please remember that Noah's Ark has far more power and influence than you do… we have the ability to make you bankrupt."

Bankrupt… Leverrier shivered inside at the word. He didn't want to lose his fortune. Having grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth, he had never known poverty except for the briefest glimpses he had of it at charity events. He didn't want to go bankrupt.

"I will fight to the end. I will not go bankrupt," he insisted, trying valiantly to stick to his former position.

"Oh, will you?" Tyki said, smirking. A chill ran down Leverrier's spine. He looked into Tyki Mikk's eyes and saw nothing but contempt in those depths of molten gold. He knew then that his efforts were futile.

He was a wily businessman, and he knew where the wind was blowing. "Fine. Fine. I stop Link from suing Kanda, and you'll leave us alone."

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," Tyki said. "The Earl is willing to pay Mr Link a settlement of a million dollars to drop the case."

"That's good," Leverrier said, breathing deeply. "If that's all…"

Tyki glanced at Leverrier, observing with some degree of satisfaction that the latter's moustache was still shaking above his quivering lips. "Then I take my leave, sir. I hope you keep to your end of the contract… The Earl doesn't quite like people who break their promises…"

"No, no."

"Then good bye, and fare you well." Tyki grinned and swept his hat off his head, bowing to Leverrier before he left the room.

Outside the room, Tyki pressed a number on speed dial and put his blackberry to his ear. "Mission accomplished."

:::

Kanda sat brooding in his shop in the darkest corner. There were no customers browsing his wares at the moment, and he was therefore free to meditate.

Try as he might, though, something seemed to block his ability to calm himself down and to enter the world of emptiness. He snapped his dark eyes open, glaring at his goods, and wishing them all to hell.

Then he nearly jumped.

The telephone was ringing.

Scowling, Kanda stood up and headed for the counter.

"Yu?" the caller shouted into his ear. It was Lavi, no doubt about it. "Guess what!"

"Shut the hell up, you noisy retard," Kanda growled.

"Don't be such a wet blanket, my dear friend," Lavi said loudly. "Listen to me!"

"Shit you," Kanda replied.

"You'll want to thank me after you hear this," Lavi said. "Guess what?"

"Just say it already, Usagi!"

"I got a call from Link's lawyer just now."

"So?"

"They're dropping the case against you!"

"You kidding me?"

"No!"

"Shit," Kanda said.

"What?" Lavi asked. "You're upset?"

"No – it's just, shit."

"Eh, Yu, what's wrong?"

"Che."

"You're not going to hang up on me, are you? 'Cause, if you do, I'll pop by tonight with some champagne and you know you don't want that."

"Che," Kanda said again. "I'm hanging up. I don't want to talk to you."

"But –"

"Shut the hell up," Kanda said. "And – thanks."

And then he hung up, placing the receiver back onto its holding place.

So the trial was over. It was a relief, to be honest, even though he had refused to admit to anyone that the idea of imprisonment bothered him much. To tell the truth, the idea of being sent to jail had weighed heavily on him throughout the past few weeks, denying him a measure of sleep and weaving its way into his dreams.

Now it was all over, and the burden on his chest seemed to have lifted.

Maybe he should inform the Moyashi – if she hadn't already been informed by Lavi.

With quick movements he drew the shutters and locked the door.

Judgement was empty when Kanda reached. He could see the Moyashi sitting at the counter, staring idly into space, her twiddling fingers visible behind the till.

"What are you doing here?" she asked when he entered. "Decided to close for the day? What happened to your work ethic?"

"I came over to tell you something."

"Alright, speak then."

"Che."

"Well?"

"Lavi called me just now. Link has dropped the case."

"Is that so?" Allen asked, her voice light. "That's great! I'm so happy for you!"

"Che," Kanda said, "you're overreacting, as usual."

Allen only smiled in return.

"I'm going back," Kanda said, feeling uneasy.

"Sure. We should have a great celebration later!"

Kanda nodded, but could not shake the feeling of uneasiness that Allen's reply had triggered. She had sounded happy that he would not be convicted, but there was a certain element of surprise that was lacking in her tone.

It seemed to him, too, that her eyes were strangely glassy that day, and her posture too erect. She had not professed astonishment at his appearance; it was almost as if she had expected him to walk in with important news.

It was almost as if she knew the outcome of the trial before he did.

Kanda frowned.

:::

The next day, Rhode bought Allen lunch.

"You have a month and a half left with Kanda," Rhode said, staring at Allen with her large eyes.

"Whatever it is that you're implying…"

"Really, Allen, I'm being serious. You've spent about what, close to six months living with him? I'm sure there's something between the two of you."

"There isn't."

"If you say that, then you're not being true to yourself. Even if you're not attracted to him, you should at least have built up a friendship with him."

"Yes," Allen agreed. "And what are you trying to get at?"

"I'm just telling you… make the most of the next six weeks, hmm? You won't have much opportunity to meet him after you join Noah's Ark."

"Why are you so nice to me today?" Allen asked, her eyes narrowed to mere slits.

"You're my friend," Rhode said, shrugging. "Tyki told me you seemed quite depressed over the whole issue."

"I know what to do," Allen said. "But thanks anyway."

:::

"Kanda," Allen said two days later, "let's have a picnic this weekend."

"Why the shit do you want to have a picnic? It's still winter!" Kanda answered, looking up from his tea and soba.

They were at the breakfast table, and Allen had decided to tell Kanda about her ideas. After her talk with Rhode, Allen had planned a to-do list. It made sense, really, to make the most out of the next few weeks before she left her friends.

"I'll be giving birth in slightly more than a month," Allen said, glaring at Kanda, "and after that I'll be house-bound for some time."

"And so?"

"And so I want to have a picnic."

"I'm not going to a picnic in freaking winter."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

Allen glared at Kanda again, and Kanda stared back.

"Yes you are."

"Give me a reason to."

"If you don't… I will hide all your soba!"

"Che. That was a stupid threat. I can buy more."

"I hate you," Allen said.

"So do I."

Allen frowned and rested her head on her arms, trying to think of another way to persuade Kanda.

"What's wrong with you?" Kanda asked, prodding her arms with the hilt of his favourite sword.

Allen responded by raising her head and giving Kanda an empty stare that unnerved even his brave and courageous soul.

"Che, fine," Kanda said, not liking the hollowness of her eyes. He remembered the night when she had spoken of Mana and her dead child, and the empty eyes that had accompanied her story. He shuddered within. "I'll go. Shit you."

"Okay!" Allen said, smiling. "Let's tell Lavi and Lenalee and Miranda and Marie. Everybody!"

Kanda sulked.

:::

The picnic took place on the Sunday of that week, after two feverish days of preparation.

Right after Kanda had reluctantly agreed to having a picnic, Allen called Lenalee and told her about it. Lenalee and Lavi were thrilled, and Lavi immediately chastised Kanda for being a spoilsport.

The three spent the next two days preparing food and beverages to suit the different tastes and preferences of those attending the picnic, and Allen managed to rope Kanda into Operation Picnic, whereby she forced him to make sandwiches and then laughed at the sight of him cutting bread.

"Shit you," Kanda said to Allen on Sunday morning. They were loading the ten baskets of food they had prepared into the boot of Kanda's car.

"My sentiments exactly," Allen said, giving Kanda a patronising pat on the back.

"Just get your sorry ass into the damned car."

Allen rolled her eyes and got into the Ford Mustang. "I ever told you that I like this car?"

"Che."

"Well, I do. Mana once had a car like this… and don't you like the leathery smell? I think it smells heavenly. This car seems like it belongs to those long-ago days of pomp and glamorous days. I'd almost expect Sherlock Holmes to have a car like that."

Midway through fastening his seat belt, Kanda looked at Allen and frowned. "Did you knock your head? Sherlock Holmes is fictional."

"I know that, you twit."

Kanda made a scornful noise and started the car. "Stop talking, Moyashi. You're damned noisy."

"We're almost late," Allen said by way of reply.

"I told you to shut up!"

"Okay." Allen paused. "Jerk."

"Damn you!"

The ride passed in a blur. Allen spent the time admiring the scenery, while Kanda fixed his eyes on the road. He did notice, though, that Allen's right hand – which was lying on her seat beside the gear lever – was slim and smooth, though a little too pale like the rest of her.

He could also see the little scars on the back of her hand, and wondered how it would feel to touch the calloused patches of skin on her hand, engraved into her skin through years of hard work.

In that instant, he wanted to retch, because such thoughts were disgustingly not Kanda and therefore harming his honour. But he didn't, because if he retched then Allen would know that he had been staring at her hand and then she would ask why he was staring – and then what would he answer?

That he liked her?

He couldn't possibly say that because he didn't know if he did like her in a romantic sense. (Or maybe he was in denial – but he really didn't know.) Anyway, to admit that he was attracted to someone would dent his ego, and he couldn't quite bring himself to tell anyone out loud that he liked one Allen Walker. Blame it on his personality.

"What are you doing?" Allen shrieked. Her voice was now high and frightened, cutting through his musings like a sabre.

"Damn it!" Kanda swore. He hastily turned the steering wheel, forcing the old car away from the tree it had been going to crash into. "Shit."

"Stop cursing," Allen said. "Were you trying to kill us?"

Kanda glared at Allen. "This is all your fault."

"My fault! How so?"

"I –" Kanda realised the full implications of his words. He was at a loss as to how to continue the conversation. "I –"

"Yu!" someone cried from their right. Never had Kanda been so glad to hear Lavi's voice. He made a mental note to spare Lavi one thrashing – because the damned idiot had saved him from a potentially embarrassing and humiliating situation for once.

"Go away you idiot."

Lavi continued to thrust his face through Kanda's open window. "You're here!"

"Shut the hell up and move."

"Hey, Allen! You're looking great, too!"

"Thanks," Allen said.

"What happened, Kanda?" Lenalee asked from behind Lavi. "We saw the car…swerve."

"Careen, more of. Looks like somebody lost his focus!" Lavi said, reaching in to ruffle Kanda's neat, sleek hair. "Atta boy, Yu! You finally learnt how to drive along. Oops?"

"Usagi" Kanda yelled. That did it. Now his hair was all messed up – and it was all Lavi Bookman's ault. The man would have to pay for the damage done!

Deep down inside, Kanda wondered if Allen was laughing at him. He didn't care to look back as he leapt out of the car after a shrieking Lavi, just in case he found Allen's strange grey eyes locked onto him, disapproval brimming in them.

"Boys," Lenalee said, shaking her head.

* * *

A/N: You know what? I kind of like this chapter.

Having said that, I must say that I'm sorry for not being able to do the court scene properly. I don't watch law dramas and so I really have no idea how a court scene should be written. I did try to google it but there wasn't much help. So please do pardon the below-average descriptions in that part!

Alright – so, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews and comments would be appreciated (:


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: This is fan-fiction. You get my drift, yes?

* * *

**Chapter 15**

* * *

"_What happened, Kanda?" Lenalee asked from behind Lavi. "We saw the car…swerve."_

"_Careen, more of. Looks like somebody lost his focus!" Lavi said, reaching in to ruffle Kanda's neat, sleek hair. "Atta boy, Yu! You finally learnt how to drive along. Oops?"_

"_Usagi" Kanda yelled. That did it. Now his hair was all messed up – and it was all Lavi Bookman's ault. The man would have to pay for the damage done!_

_Deep down inside, Kanda wondered if Allen was laughing at him. He didn't care to look back as he leapt out of the car after a shrieking Lavi, just in case he found Allen's strange grey eyes locked onto him, disapproval brimming in them. _

"_Boys," Lenalee said, shaking her head_.

:::

Half an hour later, the party was fully assembled, and the picnic was in order. Komui sat with his newest pet robot – which Lenalee declined to kick into oblivion because she thought that Komui deserved a few hours of happiness before his robot got destroyed (by her).

Allen claimed the place beside the largest food basket, settling down happily onto the picnic mat like a cat after the kill.

"I want that sandwich!" she said, beaming at Miranda.

Miranda blinked, then handed over the sandwich in question.

"You'll grow fat," Kanda said, looking over from where he had been cornered by Tiedoll.

"I won't," Allen said.

"Look at yourself, Moyashi," Kanda said. "Look at your belly. It's protruding."

"She's pregnant, Yu," Lavi cut in, a can of beer in his hands. "That's why her belly's protruding, don't you think?"

"Lavi, don't drink that!" Lenalee said. "It's only midday. Put the beer away, please!"

"Of course, m'dear."

"Who brought the beer anyway?" Lenalee asked. "We shouldn't tempt Allen here…"

"No, no, I don't like beer. Don't worry about me," Allen said. "And to be perfectly honest, it was Kanda who brought the beer."

"The hell?" Kanda said.

"Kanda! Why did you bring the beer!" Lenalee asked, glaring at her friend.

"The hell are you asking me that?"

"You're corrupting us all," Lavi said.

"I sure didn't ask you to drink it, idiot!"

"Boys," Lenalee said. "Breathe. Now."

"Yu probably had too much unsold beer in his shop," Lavi said. "Hey! Then this is high quality stuff!" He reached out for his can again.

"Shit you," Kanda said.

"Language," Komui said, looking up from Komurin. "Or Komurin will exterminate you!"

"So, Allen," Miranda asked after Kanda's attention retuned to Tiedoll, "are you nervous?"

"About?"

"The delivery. Are you?"

"Am I?"

"Oh – oh. If it makes you uncomfortable… I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked!" Miranda cried.

Lenalee patted Miranda's shoulder. "Calm down, Miranda. Allen doesn't mean it that way."

"I didn't mean to make you flustered, Miranda," Allen said. "My bad. I am a little nervous… but who wouldn't be?"

"I'm nervous too," Lenalee confided. "Can you believe it? I don't even have to undergo the pain and the anguish."

"I can't imagine how it must be like," Miranda said. She looked at her still-flat tummy. "I – I think I would be very frightened if I got pregnant."

"Pregnancy isn't something you should be frightened of," Kanda scoffed. He was looking at them again, ignoring Tiedoll.

"Well, well. Looks like Yu's really concerned for Allen!" Lavi said.

"Are you?" Tiedoll demanded. "I'm so glad for you, Yu! You've finally found your soul mate!"

"Shut the hell up!"

"Oh, Yu –"

"Yeah, that's right," Lavi said to Tiedoll. "He's found his soul mate!"

"I damned well have not, Usagi!" Kanda lunged forward, his cheeks a little on the red side.

"Is he blushing?" Miranda whispered, her hands over her mouth.

"I am not, you idiot!" Kanda shouted, now in Miranda's direction.

"I'm so sorry!" Miranda cried. "I didn't mean to upset you!"

"Kanda, please watch your mouth," Marie said.

"Shut the hell up!"

"Yu!" Tiedoll remonstrated. "Language!"

"This is going to turn into a bloodbath…" Allen sighed, looking at Lenalee.

"Lavi and his big mouth. I'm really going to give him a talking-to later on." But deep down inside, Lenalee was shaking with laughter. It had been such a long time since she last saw Kanda so much as blush – that was when he'd first met Alma all those years ago.

Allen bit on her sandwich, frowning, tuning out the arguments.

Four sandwiches, three pies, two salads and one pudding later, Allen ventured out of her silent paradise, only to find Kanda and Lavi still bickering. Lenalee and Miranda were whispering to each other, and Komui was down by the lake, pointing at the lake while his robot stood tall and silent beside him.

She got up. "Washroom," she mouthed when Lenalee looked her way.

Lenalee nodded. "Be back soon!"

Allen smiled and headed off downhill toward the fence by the toilets. She didn't really need to visit the washroom, but she did want some peace and quiet. Kanda and Lavi's voices still resounded in her head. She rubbed absently at her temples, sitting at the steps leading to the podium on which the toilets stood.

It was a nice, clear day. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping – and it wasn't even all that cold. It was a day to be treasured, a day to lock into her memory, to worship as a beacon of light and happiness in darker days.

She would always remember her friends, she thought, no matter where she went. She would remember Miranda giggling shyly, her hands resting on her cheeks. She would remember Marie strumming his guitar, resting against a sun-browned tree, his sightless eyes bright and big. She would remember Bookman dozing off, his cigar drooping from the corner of his crinkled mouth. She would remember Komui and his Komurin. She would remember Reever and Johnny and 65…

She would remember Lenalee, sitting cross-legged, her dark hair glistening like the morning dew, her eyes kind and laughing. She would remember Lavi, his one green eye bright and full of life, his hair an unsubtle shade of red against the clear blue sky, mouth open in a laugh.

And she would remember Kanda. Why did she put him last, anyway? She shrugged off the thought. Anyway… she would remember the way he stood, weak wintry sunlight spilling off the gloss of his hair, his eyes dark and full of hidden pain which few could see.

She would remember him staring her down, his mouth filled with foul words but his heart true and loyal to his friends. She would remember the curve of his strong jaw and the twist of his smirk and the quick steps he took and….

She was thinking too much.

"Moyashi?"

Speak of the devil. "Why're you here?"

"You were missing."

"And therefore?"

"Therefore I came to find you, idiot."

"You can go back now. I'm safe here. Nothing's wrong – the birds are singing, the sun is up, I'm feeling perfectly fine. Go back."

"Liar."

"What did you say, you twat?"

"I called you a damned liar."

"Am not," Allen sniffed.

"You damned well are," Kanda said. He looked down at her before deciding to sit beside her. "You're being hypocritical again."

"Pardon?"

"I told you before, didn't I?"

"And Mr Big Bad Kanda here doesn't like to repeat himself," Allen mocked.

"I damned well don't!"

"I don't try to be hypocritical you know."

"I never said you did."

"You implied it."

"Che, Moyashi, you're stupid, aren't you?"

Allen blew out her cheeks.

"Why are you sitting here?"

"Pardon?" Allen said. "Wait, no – I heard your question. Why can't I sit here?"

"The food's over there," Kanda said, gesturing to where the rest sat.

"I wanted to be alone."

"Why?"

"Why so curious?" Allen asked. "You aren't this nosy usually."

"Look – I'm just trying to be a friend, alright? You aren't making it easy."

"Stop huffing, you jerk."

"Still thinking about the insults I dished just now?"

"No," Allen said. She wasn't lying.

Kanda eyed her. Allen's face was pale, and her grey eyes seemed to have wilted since the last time he looked straight at them. "Spit it out."

"There's nothing to spit out, Bakanda!"

"Yes there is."

"No."

"The hell, just say it already!" Kanda's short fuse was becoming even shorter. Goodness only knew why the Moyashi was being so stubborn.

"There is nothing wrong," Allen said, her eyes an oasis of calm. "You're imagining things. Sometimes I like to sit alone and watch the world go by."

Kanda stared doubtfully at her.

"It's true," she said, shrugging.

"I – we – we are all worried about you."

"Why, because the birth is around the corner?"

"You think?" Kanda was worried about more than that, to be honest, but he wasn't about to admit it. Strictly speaking, he wasn't worried about the birth. Not much, anyway. Allen had the physical stamina to endure the painful process.

But there was something else in Allen's manner that worried him. There seemed to be a slight but slowly-growing distance between him and her, as if they were lost in thick fog and walking in opposite directions despite their best efforts to walk together.

It also worried him that Allen seemed to want to savour things as if she would have no chance to enjoy those experiences again. She had been so happy over the idea of a picnic that it was almost a little too fey in his opinion. She couldn't possibly be thinking that she might die in childbirth, could she? If she was worrying about that, then he'd have to disabuse her of that idea soon.

"I'll be fine," Allen said. "Meanwhile could you shut up so I can enjoy the silence and the wind and the warmth of the sun?"

"Che," Kanda said, but kept silent after that.

Allen continued looking up into the sky, her eyes following the flight trajectory of the birds, their colourful plumage breaking out through the dull coats they donned for winter. Meanwhile, her nose caught the lightest scents of food wafting from the picnic basket uphill from them, and her ears heard the ruffle of the leaves hanging from the broad back of waking trees.

"Winter is dying," Allen said.

"Yeah."

"Don't you feel both happy and sad at this time of the year?"

"No."

"Well, I do. There's something really sorrowful about the death of winter – the loss of the pretty snow-scape, among other things." Allen looked around. "But at the same time, spring is coming… and life reappears."

"Che."

"Do you get what I mean?"

"No."

Allen sighed. "You're hopeless."

"You're too idealistic and all that shit."

"You're too pragmatic," Allen said, frowning slightly.

"Aren't you cold?" Kanda asked.

"Not really."

"It's getting colder now," Kanda said. "Better put your coat on."

"Uh, right. I left my coat up there."

"You're a little idiot," Kanda said. He glared at her, then shrugged off his coat. "Take it."

"Thanks." Allen snaked her arms up the sleeves of Kanda's coat, drawing the inside of the coat closer to her body.

"Don't mention it. I don't want Lavi complaining to me – I've had enough of his shit for one day."

"You allow yourself to be aggravated…"

"I do not."

"Continue deluding yourself," Allen said, a smile playing about her eyes.

Kanda looked at her and nearly smiled in spite of himself. Allen looked so earnest and so innocent, and he liked the way her grey eyes danced. As it was, he clenched his jaw, biting back the smile.

"What's wrong with you?" Allen asked. "Cat got your tongue? You look like you need to use the washroom, actually."

"You're an idiot."

"So are you," Allen said. She pulled Kanda's coat tighter around herself. The smell of his soap lingered on the collar of his coat as it sat around the curve of her shoulders, and Allen idly wondered why Link's clothes had never smelled that fresh.

"You're cold."

"Yeah, it seems like the cold wind's coming back with a vengeance."

"Come on," Kanda said, looking at her, "let's head back."

Allen shook her head, patting the stone steps with her hands. "I like it here."

"Let's go. Before they finish the food."

"Right!"

Kanda stretched out a hand, pulling Allen up. "Can you walk uphill?"

"Sure I can. Just watch. I'm not such a weakling!"

They then began their slow ascent. Allen felt tired after every few metres, and Kanda had to stop and wait while she caught her breath.

"Maybe you should go on first," Allen said after a particularly long rest.

"Move," Kanda ordered, ignoring her words.

"You're a tyrant."

"Move."

Allen huffed and puffed and moved her legs, wishing that her abdomen was not quite so heavy.

"We're almost there," Kanda said, his voice unnaturally gentle. "Move."

With a last puff of breath Allen stumbled onto the top of the hill. She lowered herself slowly onto the picnic sheet, hair flying and cheeks tinted a shade of pink.

"That was tiring," Allen said.

"Where were you?" Lenalee asked. "You were gone for so long… we were worried."

"I was at the washroom. Nothing happened, don't worry."

"Kanda went to look for you," Miranda said.

"He found me."

"You sure you're all right?" Lenalee asked.

"I'm fine." Allen smiled. "Pass the pizza, please?"

"You're still hungry?" Miranda said, chuckling. "Here you go. We saved it for you!"

Allen devoured the rest of the food, only pausing to grab a drink now and then. She spent the rest of the afternoon talking to Lavi, Bookman, Noise and Hevlaska, laughing at their jokes and drinking in the stories they told.

As the afternoon drew on, the wind blew stronger, nipping at their ankles with chilly teeth.

"I think it's about time we leave," Lenalee said, packing up the baskets.

"It's getting late," Reever observed.

"Yeah," Lavi said, with a sidelong glance at Allen, "we'd all better leave now."

"Fold the picnic mat, Lavi!" Lenalee said. "Kanda, why don't you leave with Allen first?"

"We –"

"Fine," Kanda said, his words cutting across Allen's voice. "Let's go, Moyashi."

Kanda picked up the two baskets they'd brought along that morning, before stooping to retrieve a brown pile of cloth on the grass. He walked off without so much as a goodbye to the rest.

Allen frowned at his retreating back. Then she turned. "Bye, everyone! See you! Today was fun!"

She followed Kanda toward his car. "Wait up, Bakanda!"

"You're slow." But Kanda waited beside his Ford Mustang, loading the picnic baskets into the boot.

When Allen reached the car, he handed over the brown pile she had seen him retrieve a few minutes ago.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Take it."

Allen took it – and realised that it was her coat. "Oh, dang. I've been wearing your coat all this while!"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me? You must have been cold!"

"Che, just take it. And return my coat."

"Right," Allen said, reaching to pull off the soft, warm material.

"Do it when you're inside the car," Kanda sighed, pinching the bridge of his sharp nose. Honestly, the Moyashi could be really stupid sometimes.

Allen slid into the front passenger seat and took Kanda's coat off before wrapping herself in her own. She saw Kanda fold his coat and place it on his lap. Apparently he wasn't all that cold and a long-sleeved knit sweater was enough to keep him warm.

What she didn't see, though, was something Kanda did in the confines of his room later that day. When he was safely ensconced in his own room, he held his coat in his hands and looked at it as if expecting a horde of jewels to tumble out of its shallow pockets.

No jewels tumbled out, but Kanda traced the thread patterns on the inside of his coat with his fingers, before finally dragging his arms through the sleeves such that he wore his coat with the back of it facing front. Like how Allen had worn it. It felt snug. It felt warm.

It felt good, and he could still smell the lingering perfume she wore.

It reminded him of better days, of cherry-trees erupting softly into a momentous bloom in tremulous spring back in his homeland.

It was then that Kanda admitted to himself that he quite possibly was fond of Allen Walker. Not love, though. Never love. Love was not for him.

:::

Kanda heard Allen's second request four days later.

"I want to watch the sunrise from the pier," Allen said.

Kanda shifted his eyes from the kitchen window, where a grey storm raged, interspersed with bouts of lighting. "Then go."

"You're not very fun or very smart, are you?"

"What do you mean, Moyashi?" Kanda asked.

"I mean you should go with me."

"Why should I?"

"This is a request," Allen said, her eyes narrowing. "Won't you grant it, you jerk?"

"Che, no."

"Come on! You won't have many chances to watch the sunrise with me!"

"Why?" Kanda asked. He frowned, remembering his uneasiness returning. Allen was going to do something drastic, he was sure. A disappearing act, maybe.

"Because I won't have the time to watch the sunrise with you, my friend!"

"Why won't you have the time?" Kanda was determined to get to the bottom of it all.

"Because I'll be moving back to my apartment and it'll be a chore to have to fit you in, among other things."

"You could stay here," Kanda said, enunciating each word, spacing them such that it seemed like he was scrutinising each word he uttered. "You could rent a room. From me."

"Nice one, but I don't think so."

"Are you an idiot?" Kanda said, feeling hurt. "I'm offering you a good deal."

"You're helping me out of pity."

"Pride," Kanda said, shaking his head.

"You're as guilty as I am of pride, Bakanda."

"Che."

"I'll take that as a yes.

There was no response, and Allen smiled. She knew she had won the argument. "So…. We'll head to the pier either tomorrow or the day after?"

"I don't care."

"You clearly do not mind enough to object strongly, so we'll go the day after."

"Che," Kanda said.

:::

"Wake up."

Allen groaned and shifted her weight from one side to the other. "Go 'way."

"Wake up!"

"Urgh." Allen grabbed onto the blankets, her eyelids still laced tightly together. She was sleepy, damn it; why couldn't whoever it was let her sleep?

"Wake up!" the person trying to wake her pulled the blanket off the bed.

Allen shivered; her body curled into a foetal position as she snuggled deeper into the bedspread, her feet already frozen. "Go 'way."

"Moyashi, wake up."

Allen groaned again as two hands found their way onto her shoulders. She felt herself being shaken lightly. With great effort, she wrenched her eyes open.

Kanda was standing over her, his long, dark hair falling over his shoulders below her field of vision. She could not see him clearly because the lights were not switched on and it was clearly not morning yet anyway.

"Whaz time?" she asked, trying to blink away the sleepiness that still lay thick on her.

"Wake up, Moyashi." Allen could smell Kanda's toothpaste. It was a nice smell, she thought, rather fresh, though it seemed to carry a hint of the fragrance of green tea.

"What for?"

"You were the one who wanted to see the sunrise, damn it!"

"Sunrise?" Allen mumbled. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to shake the webs of sleep from them. "Yeah. Sunrise."

"Get up."

"O-kay."

"Ten minutes. Be in the kitchen in ten minutes."

Allen nodded, wearily pushing her feet onto the floor, trying not to shake when the cold panels met her uncovered toes. It was cold. Too cold. Why did she even want to watch the sunrise, anyway? Why did she want to watch the sunrise with Kanda of all people?

Yawning, Allen fumbled her way into the washroom, wincing as she thrust her fingers into the stream of water from the tap. It was cold. Nevertheless, she dressed hurriedly, forcing her frozen fingers into gloves and pulling on a warm, large coat.

"You're late," Kanda said. He glanced at the clock sitting beside the refrigerator. "You took fifteen minutes."

"Please do pardon me for being late by five minutes when I was freezing to death," Allen said, sarcasm colouring her tone.

"You weren't freezing to death," Kanda snorted. "My house has a heater."

"Oh."

"You forgot to switch it on."

Allen looked away, toward the toaster that stood empty on the pristine counter. She thought it would look far better if bread actually sat in it. Or maybe not. The bread might get stuck and then she would have no breakfast, which would be a pain in the ass.

"What are you doing?" Kanda asked. "Why the shit are you looking at the toaster like it's your sure-as-shit best friend?"

"Why do you have a toaster?"

"Why can't I have a toaster?"

"You don't even eat bread."

"Tiedoll bought it."

"Right," Allen said, "and then you keep it out on the counter instead of putting it deep inside the cabinet?"

"Are you stupid?" Kanda asked, his voice low and deadly.

"Come again?"

"I took it out for you, Moyashi," Kanda said. "Because you eat bread. Bread tastes like shit. But since you like it, I took it out."

Allen glanced at Kanda. The latter's eyes were dark with anger. "Okay then. Thanks. Uh, I'll eat some bread now?"

Kanda ignored her, so Allen grabbed some bread from the breadbin. The bread didn't look all that fresh, but Allen wasn't fussy about that. The toaster would soon make the bread hot and tasty, and Allen was hungry.

What with breakfast and all that, they only left the house at six in the morning. Allen yawned again as she climbed into Kanda's car, and Kanda merely snorted.

"If we miss the sunrise," he said, "it'll be your damned fault."

"I thought you weren't interested in watching the sun rise."

"I'm not. But I won't get up so early again just to fetch you to watch it."

Allen shrugged. "We won't miss it."

Kanda stepped on the accelerator pedal, and the car moved out of the driveway onto the dark road toward the pier.

It was six-thirty in the morning when they reached. Kanda stepped on the brakes, and the car slid to a smooth stop along the road that meandered away just before the stone steps that led up to the pier.

Grabbing a bag from the boot, Kanda walked ahead of Allen, flashing a torchlight every now and then to make sure they were walking in the correct direction.

Allen watched him, bemused. Then Kanda opened the bag in his hands and pulled out something that looked vaguely like a hairy piece of wood in the flickering light. Allen gaped.

She soon realised that the hairy piece of wood was in fact a mat that Kanda had packed. He lay the mat on the pier before turning his glance to her.

"Sit here," he said.

"O-kay," Allen said, unsure of the situation. It was hard to believe, but Kanda was actually being nice.

She sat beside Kanda, enjoying the silence that hung over them. Dawn was such a beautiful time… the sky was dark and the first hints of molten sunshine were creeping over the horizon, stoking fires on the far reaches of the visible sea. The winds were blowing, and the cold was biting, but she felt safe and secure in her thick coat.

Best of all, she felt happy. It felt good to feel the salty sea breeze brushing through her hair, to smell the morning dew, to feel the body heat of a person she trusted beside her.

It was good…

Kanda's finger jolted her back to reality.

"Eh?" Allen said, peering at him. In the semi-darkness, she could see Kanda's long hair flying away from his face. "You should have tied your hair up."

"Don't be so damned nosy," he said.

"Fine. I'll mind my own business."

"Take this."

Allen shot Kanda a wary look before she allowed her hands to touch the object lying in Kanda's palms. "A hot water bottle?"

"It's cold," Kanda said.

"Thanks," Allen said, feeling somewhat pleased that Kanda was being nice to her. Then her sensibility took over. _What's wrong with you, Allen Walker? You're not a seventeen-year-old girl. Your hormones aren't supposed to be raging. And you do not happen to like Kanda that way._

Allen placed the hot water bottle between her gloved hands. The heat spread from the bottle to her fingers, and it felt good.

"So you can be thoughtful, jerk," Allen said

"What?" Kanda looked affronted.

"Nothing much." Allen glanced around her again, taking in the lapping waves and the wind that tugged at the ends of their scarves. "This is so beautiful."

"Mmm."

"Did you just agree with me?"

"No."

"Oh. I was under the impression that you like the pier at dawn. I can't wait for the sun to rise! I'll bet you it'll be plenty lovely."

Kanda nodded, and Allen could see the angular lines of his profile against the lightening sky. She had never noticed before, but Kanda's nose was sharp, and his cheekbones were high. He was doubtlessly an attractive man physically, but, she reflected, his character definitely needed some work.

"Tiedoll likes the sea at dawn."

"Pardon?"

"Tiedoll use to take me with him when he went sketching in the morning. He didn't bring Marie that much. Nor Daisya."

"He probably thought you needed more exposure to the beauty in life."

"I never knew what that old man thought. I still don't know," Kanda said, scorn creeping into his words and latching onto the edge of his tongue.

"He probably just wishes that you can stop being so bitter. So antisocial."

"He should just sod off."

"You're really mean to him, you know?"

"The hell I care."

"Maybe," Allen said, "maybe you should stop being so jaded and so angry for a while, Bakanda. The world isn't out to harm you."

"No, it freaking isn't, but humans are annoying. Look at that damned Usagi."

"Lavi cares for you too. That's why he bugs you. Lenalee cares for you too. So does Komui. And Tiedoll. And Daisya. And Marie." Allen paused, as if for breath. "And so do I."

Kanda's heart did a traitorous leap at that last phrase, but he kept his face firmly to the front, facing the sea. "Hmph."

"You sound like the Grinch," Allen laughed.

"The shit is that?"

"It's from a movie. Ever watched The Grinch Who Stole Christmas?"

"No. I don't watch that kind of shit."

"It's a cute show," Allen said. "But you and cute probably don't mix, huh. Your loss."

"Che," Kanda said. "You're childish and immature. Just admit that."

"No," Allen said. "You're such an insufferable idiot sometimes."

Kanda opened his mouth, but Allen interrupted him before he even managed to get a word out.

"Don't say anything," she said, "or I will really push you into the sea. And don't you dare tell me that I can't push you in because you're stronger than me. I really will kick your sorry ass in."

Kanda shot her a glare through the dark, but Allen merely fiddled her thumbs and looked away across the sea.

"I love the sea," she said. "It's infinite. It stretches on and on… I used to want to live by the sea, so I could forget my troubles just by looking at that great blue pond. But you know, now I don't really want to live by the seaside anymore."

"Why?" Kanda's voice was quiet and even, with no trace of residual anger from the heated moment before. It rippled through the air, and Allen found it most calming.

"The sea is beautiful, true, but it's so lonely. I couldn't possibly live here and remain sane. Even in the city… sometimes I feel Mana and my baby breathing down my neck. I couldn't possibly live here alone…"

"You're not that cheerful when you're alone."

"Eh?"

"The sun is rising," Kanda said. "Look."

Allen looked toward the horizon, and glimpsed the sun rising above the bountiful waves, his golden edges tinged with crimson and pink clouds. It was lovely, a figment of a poet's wildest dream.

She wished she could stare at it for all time, watching the sun pick his way among the clouds as he wandered towards the apex of the limitless sky. The darkness around them gave way to light, the first waltzes of songs began to issue from the birds nesting in the trees from which shadows still hung.

This was a dream come true.

In her earlier years, stricken by the unusual colour of her hair, repulsed by the scar that ran down her face and ashamed of her deformed left arm, Allen Walker had low self-esteem. It was with some trepidation that she sometimes allowed her dreams to take leave of her fears and soar above and beyond the boundaries of her reality.

There was once when she had dreamed of sitting by a handsome prince, his features dark and his bearing haughty and melancholic. They would sit at the beach, and then her dark, handsome prince would reveal a ring that glittered with the hopes of a thousand lifetimes, and then they would live happily after in the glow of the setting sun.

That dream had not come true, but somehow, sitting by Kanda at the pier, watching the sleeping world come back to life made Allen feel slightly uneasy. It was almost as if she had forgotten something important…

She sighed. It probably wasn't anything important. Maybe she was being moody. There was no way Kanda liked her – after all, she couldn't possibly compare to his precious beautiful Alma and anyway she didn't like him either, although he was beautiful and interesting in his own way. And he was way too pale anyway, unlike the dark prince of her dreams.

"Why are you sighing?" Kanda sounded somewhat impatient.

"It's nothing. I'm just awed."

Kanda gave her a hard look, but Allen merely shrugged in response.

"I would like to sit here for the next few years and just watch the days roll by," Allen said.

"That's wishful thinking."

"I know, I know, but I still like to think it."

"We should go soon."

"Can we stay here for a while longer?" Allen asked. There was something akin to wistfulness in her large eyes as she turned to Kanda. "I would like to stay here for a while more."

Kanda hesitated. He didn't really want to admit it, but the sea was calming, and sitting at the pier with the Moyashi was… nice. On the other hand, he needed to open the shop.

"Fine," he said. "Fine." Then he scowled for good measure, to try to mask the goodwill in his tone.

They continued to sit there all morning, with Allen sleeping on his shoulder. Kanda didn't mind. He sort of liked it – it felt like home. It felt comfortable.

He didn't wake her till she yawned and opened her eyes at ten.

That was when he wiped the little smile off his face and tightened his jaw.

"You're heavy," he said. "Now get off me."

Allen groaned and sat up, feeling the cold steal its way into her bones.

"Now let's go to work," he said.

:::

"Let me get this right," Rhode said, peering at Allen over the top of her ice cream. "You watched the sunrise with Kanda Yu."

"Yeah, that's right," Allen said. She shot a look at Rhode before bringing her eyes back to her own espresso.

"Why are you drinking that?" Tyki asked. "Aren't you pregnant?"

'Isn't that obvious, Tyki?" Rhode said, pulling the little umbrella off the top of her sundae. "Stop sounding like her mother."

Tyki rolled his eyes and reached in his back pocket.

"No smoking," Allen reminded him, her eyes warm.

"Oh, yeah. My bad."

"So, back to the topic," Rhode said, "how was the sunrise?"

"The sunrise was beautiful! It was so grand… and awesome… and it was all red and pink and golden and… I would like to watch it again."

"With Kanda?" Rhode asked, licking her spoon.

"I don't really mind."

"You don't?" Tyki asked. "And Rhode, don't do that. It's disgusting."

"Yes, Uncle Tyki. I'm so glad for you, Allen!"

"You're reading way too much into it, Rhode!" Allen said.

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are," Allen said. She finished her drink. "I'll be going, then. See you around."

"Don't you think, Tyki, that Allen is getting touchy?"

"She was probably annoyed with you." Tyki reached for his cigarettes again.

"I don't think so. Maybe a little annoyed. I'm quite sure that she likes Kanda, though."

Tyki lit his cigarette. "Maybe so."

"Aren't you concerned?"

"No. Should I be?"

"Yes you should. Allen can't be with him if she joins us."

Tyki shrugged. "I think she's just infatuated with him. At the moment, that is. She'll forget him soon enough."

"No," Rhode said. "She's in denial. You can't possibly let go of an attachment when you're in denial."

"You can. If you try hard enough."

Rhode swiped at the rings of smoke that Tyki was blowing out. "Look at yourself, Tyki. You're obviously in love with Lulu Bell but you're in denial. That's why you're not getting anywhere!'

"I'm not in denial. And I'm not In love. And anyway Allen isn't like me. She can handle stuff just fine."

"I hope so," Rhode said. "I hope she sorts those feelings out real soon."

"She will. Then she won't be in denial anymore, and they can all happily go their separate ways."

* * *

A/N: Does Allen like bread? I have no idea.

So how was this? I'll be glad to hear your thoughts (: Thanks for reading!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: No, I don't own the characters. Or anything much.

* * *

**Chapter 16**

* * *

"I heard you went to the pier with Allen, Yu," Lavi said, slinging his arm around his friend's back. "Was it fun?"

"The hell? Don't touch me, idiot."

"You're not answering my question!" Lavi beamed at him, but removed his arm.

"What's there to answer?"

"Did you enjoy it?"

"How did you even know we went there anyway? The Moyashi told you?"

"No, the Moyashi didn't tell me nothing! Lenalee told me about it."

"That blabbering woman."

"Hey, don't insult my darling Lenalee."

"You sound like Komui."

"Damn you," Lavi said, the sting of his remark offset by his trademark grin. "You're evading the question, Kanda."

"I am not. Go away."

"You're free now, so you might as well spill the beans, don't you think, darlin'?"

"Don't darling me."

"You like her," Lavi said, beaming.

"No. Shut your trap."

"Yu, it's not a sin to like somebody, y'know. And you can't fool me. I know you've a thing for her!"

Kanda decided to ignore the redhead.

"Come on, admit it!" Lavi insisted, poking Kanda in the ribs. 'Be a man and admit your feelings!"

"No."

"Ahh, so you're saying that you like her but you don't want to admit it?"

"Hell, no. Don't twist my words you damned Usagi."

"Show some spunk, man! Where's your backbone? If you're a man, then admit that you like her."

"So what if I do? What's it to you?" Kanda glowered at Lavi.

"She's the mother of my baby."

"No, she sure as hell isn't!"

"Don't get all defensive on me, Yu! I'm just stating the truth."

"Go away. Now." Kanda's expression was furious.

:::

The next two weeks passed without much ado. Allen seemed to have forgotten about the list of things she wanted to do with her friends, and Kanda was grateful for that.

It allowed him to rest much easier at night, because now he didn't have to think about Allen's motives and if she was going to disappear anytime soon.

And –

"_Kanda!"_

Allen was screaming. She didn't normally scream, so – Kanda placed his cup back on the table and walked briskly to her room.

He wrenched open the door. "What is it?"

Allen stared up at him from where she sat beside the toilet door, her clothes crumpled and her hair messy. Her face was pale, and he could see beads of perspiration forming on her skin.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I think – I think I'm in labour."

It sounded quite incredulous. Kanda blinked, then schooled his expression to one of neutrality. "You're thinking too much," he said. "It's not time yet."

"I was in the bathroom and then there was all this water, no, liquid flowing out. I think the water bag's burst!"

Kanda didn't for the life of him know what a water bag was, but it sounded urgent. "Damn it," he said. "Hospital, right?"

"Yeah," Allen nodded.

"Get up," he said. "Let's go before you dirty my floor."

"Jerk," Allen said. She made no move to get up.

"Come on, stand up."

"I can't," she said. "The contractions… painful."

"Shit," Kanda said, looking around. He really didn't know what to do – what the hell was he supposed to do? It was all Lenalee's fault for foisting Allen on him.

Maybe he should call them. No, he decided, he didn't want the Usagi around. Too annoying, that one. With a sigh he bent over and hoisted Allen into his arms.

She let loose a string of curses. "Painful!"

"Sorry," he said, rushing out of the room. "But you're damned heavy."

She didn't hear him, because at that moment she started to moan.

Kanda sighed and increased his speed, placing her onto the back seat. He threw a rug over her shoulders. "We'll be there soon," he promised. "Just hang on."

He jumped into the front seat, not bothering to put on his seat belt. He inched the car out of his driveway, trying not to hit other cars in his rush. And then Allen screamed again.

Kanda was a good driver, but he didn't like people breaking his concentration on the road. Allen's screaming at the back made it more difficult to drive – and it was night, damn it.

"Shut up," he said, then realised that she probably wasn't paying any attention to him and anyway she was in great pain and why the hell was he even thinking about her feelings anyway?

"There soon," he said, trying not to blow his top at the noise she was making. He beat the red light at the junction and stepped harder on the accelerator pedal. "Almost there."

Ignoring the red car that was going straight, he made a left turn, cursing again as the driver behind honked at him. The hospital loomed ahead, its great white bulk slightly aglow in the night sky. He could roughly make out the emergency entrance.

With a sigh, Kanda glanced at the rear-view mirror and moved his car onto the left-most lane. Allen was still groaning and moaning in the back, but he supposed he couldn't blame her. Rubbing at his temples, he steered the car into the hospital's driveway, coming to a stop just after the emergency entrance.

He pulled Allen out of the car.

It wasn't easy to carry her in his arms; she was squirming and moaning and altogether very much of an annoyance. He hadn't thought that the Moyashi could ever behave like this. It was almost as if she'd allowed a spoiled brat to inhabit her body for a while.

Instead of shaking her, as he would have a child who was throwing a detestable tantrum, he ran toward the sliding doors.

"Emergency!" he shouted. The woman behind the counter looked up, her glasses askew on her nose.

"What's wrong with her?" the woman asked. "Accident?"

"She's in labour!" he shouted. "Can't you idiots do something about it?"

"Oh dear, she looks like she's in lot of pain," the woman tutted, fiddling about with some forms. "Here I need you to fill in –"

"The hell, woman? She's in labour! Get her a damned doctor!" Allen was getting heavy in his arms.

The receptionist looked startled by his outburst. She glanced at the nearest consulting room, then went in that direction, coming back with a frazzled nurse.

"It's such a busy night," the nurse complained, freezing when she caught sight of Allen.

"She's having contractions?" the nurse asked.

"The hell I would know?"

"Stretcher!" the nurse called, and a man in overalls pushed one over. "Get this woman over to O and G. Now."

"Yes ma'am."

The nurse now turned to Kanda. "Please put the patient onto the stretcher, sir. We'll wheel her to the theatre and contact he doctor but we need you to fill in her particulars."

"She's been here before."

"Do you have her card, then?"

He didn't. He hadn't thought of it as he rushed out the door…

"No," Kanda said.

"Just tell the counter her full name. It should be fine." The nurse patted him on the shoulder, then left with the stretcher.

"So what's your wife's name?" the receptionist asked, smiling at him.

He didn't like her idiotic smile. Too like the Moyashi, he thought. It's a fake smile. "She's not my wife."

"Oh." The smile faltered. "What's the lady's name?"

_Her name is Moyashi. _

"Her name is Allen Walker."

"Date of birth?"

"December… Christmas."

"Okay. I've found her details and registered her." The receptionist looked up at him. "Thank you sir. You can head over to O and G now. It's on the second floor, next to…"

Kanda headed off without bothering to thank the blabbering woman. He could read the direction signs. That was one stupid receptionist. Now he had to get to Allen fast before she fainted clean away.

He strode down the hallways, legs moving quickly up the stairs. He was just a few steps away from breaking into a run. He didn't want to run. But Allen needed him by her side.

He decided to run down the last corridor. It felt good to run. The stress and worry melted away from him. Soon, his head was clear and un-fogged. All he could hear was the thudding of his own heart and the slapping of his shoes against the floor.

He pushed through the door to the waiting room, jogging forward to the nearest theatre where a bright neon light was flashing.

"Sir, you can't pass."

Kanda looked up and slowed his steps.

The nurse before him shook her head severely. "You can't go in."

"Is Allen Walker in there?"

"You are her husband?"

"Friend," he said.

The nurse pursed her thick lips. "You can't go in. I'm sorry."

"Why the shit not?"

"Hospital regulations," the nurse said. "I'm sorry, sir."

Kanda glared at her, but the woman didn't budge. With a loud sigh he looked around the waiting room. It was decorated with grotesque chairs. They looked soft, but he didn't doubt that they were actually hard. In fact, some of them sported extra appendages that he thought chairs should not have.

"You'll have to wait a long while," the nurse informed him from her station. She was staring at him from above her horn-rimmed glasses, her eyes mere specks in the circle of her bulbous face. She was obviously ogling him, and Kanda felt like slapping her. Stupid woman.

Instead he gave her a curt nod and picked a chair to sit on.

Maybe he should call the Usagi. They should know.

:::

The Bookmans arrived at exactly ten at night, half an hour after Kanda called them, an hour after Allen went into labour.

"How's she?" Lenalee asked. Her cheeks were tinged with pink, and she bent over to catch her breath.

"Inside," Kanda answered.

"She's inside?" Lavi said. "Can we go in?"

"No. That bitch won't let us in," Kanda said. "Damned hospital rules."

"What exactly happened?" Lenalee demanded.

Kanda glared at her. Stupid women and their stupid curiosity. He groaned.

"Answer me, Kanda!"

"She screamed. I went to check on her. She said she was in labour so I drove her here."

"She's only in her thirty-seventh week," Lavi said. "Will the baby be alright?"

"Thirty-seven weeks is good enough," Lenalee said. She looked relieved; the pink tint had faded from her cheeks. "How long has she been inside?"

"About forty-five minutes."

Lenalee sat down beside Kanda. "Okay. This will be a long wait."

They all settled down in the seats. Lenalee pulled a book out of her purple bag, but Kanda could tell that she wasn't really reading. Her eyes were darting around the page, and she was tapping the fingers on her right hand against the side of her seat, sure signs that she was anxious.

Meanwhile, Lavi had taken his Blackberry out. He was probably trying to complete some paperwork, Kanda thought.

Kanda himself leaned back against the backrest of his chair, looking up at the ceiling. It wasn't a nice colour, he decided. The place definitely needed repainting. The ceiling was probably meant to look yellow, but the brightness had long since disappeared, leaving behind only a dull and sickly shade of yellow.

He wondered what Allen would make of the colour. She'd probably hate it, he thought, because she tried her very best to see everything through rose-tinted glasses. Was the Moyashi even capable of hate, though?

"I hope Allen's alright," Lenalee said, interrupting his reverie.

"She will be," Lavi said, looking up. "The doctors here are good."

"Childbirth is always difficult, moron."

"Yu! You know this! I'm so proud of you!"

"Shut the hell up," Kanda said, glaring at Lavi.

"Our Kanda is worried for Allen," Lavi said, winking at Lenalee.

"Shit you."

"Ahh, that foul mouth again. Yu, will you never learn?"

"Usagi," Kanda said, half-rising.

"Kanda, sit!" Lenalee pointed at the chair. "Lavi, don't bait him. He's as worried as we are."

"Sorry, darlin'!" Lavi said. He glanced back at his blackberry. "Might as well do some work to pass the time."

Kanda went back to staring at the ceiling, trying not to be aware of the fears that were pervading his mind.

He could almost see Allen in his mind's eye. She was probably stretched taut on the operating table now, her body filled with agony. Blood would be everywhere and she might even be screaming, her face contorted in an expression of tremendous misery.

If the Moyashi died… women didn't die in childbirth nowadays, did they? Maybe he should ask Lenalee, but then if he did she might get suspicious. He didn't want to have Lenalee gloating at him or asking many questions regarding his feelings.

That being said, Kanda didn't have a clue about his feelings, either.

With a small sigh, he closed his eyes and tried to meditate.

:::

"It's been eight hours," Lavi groaned. "Why hasn't the baby come out yet?"

"It's her first birth," Lenalee said. "It takes time, Lavi. The baby doesn't just pop out like that!"

"Eight hours is surely too long," Lavi said. He got up and stretched, and Kanda could hear the slight creaking of stiff joints. "I'm gonna get some coffee. You want some?"

"Yeah."

"Kanda?"

Kanda shook his head. He was slightly sleepy, but he could very well do without that odious, bitter stuff.

"How about green tea?" Lenalee asked.

"No."

Lenalee watched Lavi walk away in the direction of the vending machine before she turned to Kanda. "You really don't want some green tea?"

"They only have the processed version," he said, waving away her question. "It tastes like shit."

"Get some rest, Kanda. Lavi and I will be awake just in case." Lenalee shook her head. "You look tired."

"No," Kanda said. "I'm fine."

They fell silent, each in their own world, until Lavi returned.

"Coffee," he said, and handed a cup to Lenalee. "It tastes okay. Not too bad."

She sniffed at the brown liquid. "I suppose."

"What's that?" Kanda asked, having evidently not listened to their banal conversation. "What the hell's happening?"

The door of the operating theatre that held Allen was slightly ajar, and a woman in scrubs had emerged. She was standing by the nurse station, her lips moving rapidly. The fat nurse was nodding, her expression grave.

"Will do," the plump nurse said, and the other nurse returned to the theatre.

'That looks serious," Lenalee said.

'I'll go ask," Lavi said.

Lavi approached the counter, waiting quietly by the side until the nurse was done making calls. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing much," the nurse said, a flush covering her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Lavi asked again. "Is there something wrong with Allen or the baby?"

"There's been a little complication," the nurse said, not looking up at Lavi.

"What is it?"

"Uh…"

"Talk, woman!" Kanda said, standing up. He glared at the nurse.

The woman looked somewhat frightened. "I'm not sure, too… but they think the bleeding is a bit excessive."

"Bleeding?" Lenalee asked, exchanging a look with Lavi. "She's bleeding?"

"What about the child?" Lavi asked. "Will it be okay?"

"What the shit is it about bleeding?" Kanda's voice, harsh and gruff, soars above the others'.

"The placenta doesn't seem to be coming out well. The doctors are afraid there could be a haemorrhage."

"The shit is that?" Kanda glared viciously at the nurse. Her answers were so vague, damn it! He really wanted to reach out and shake her.

"A haemorrhage happens when there's excessive bleeding," the nurse said, in a tone which implied exactly what she thought of Kanda's intelligence.

"So what is wrong with Allen?" Lenalee asked. She was fiddling her thumbs behind the pleats of her black skirt.

"Retained placenta leading to postpartum bleeding."

"Talk in plain English, woman!"

"What she means, Kanda," Lavi said, "is that Allen has failed to expel the placenta and is therefore bleeding."

"Is it life-threatening?" Lenalee asked.

"Well, yes," the nurse said, looking away, afraid to meet their eyes.

"What about the baby?" Lavi pressed.

"It's fine. It has already been delivered."

Lavi's chest heaved slightly as he took in the news. Kanda saw his friend's expression, and an indomitable fury rose in his chest, settling like a boulder in the pit of his abdomen.

"You're an animal," Kanda snarled.

"What?" Lavi's incredulous expression betrayed his shock.

"You care more about that damned child than you do about the woman who might die giving birth to it. You're an animal." Kanda then spat on the ground to show his distaste.

"Kanda," Lenalee began. He shook his head at her, daring her to go to Lavi's defence.

"How could you look so relieved when you heard that the child's safe? Doesn't it matter to you that the Moyashi's life could be in danger?" Kanda's eyes were positively blazing.

"What's it to you?" Lavi moved toward Kanda, his own eye ablaze.

"Isn't she your friend?"

"Guys…"

"No, Lenalee. I need to talk some sense into this blockhead here." Lavi stared Kanda down. "I'm worried for Allen, but the fact that my son is safe is something to be happy about!"

"You just don't give a damn about Moyashi!"

"Nor do you!"

"Lavi!" Lenalee chided. "Stop it. You too, Kanda."

"I'm just worried about Moyashi! And you're not!"

"I am." Lavi's eye projected steeliness. "Don't you dare doubt my loyalty to my friend."

"Che." Kanda turned away to face the wall.

The off-white shade would calm him down. Breathe in, breathe out. He repeated the mantra to himself twenty times before he turned back, two fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Is she going to die?" he asked the nurse, who was now sitting before her computer.

The woman looked up, and he could see annoyance flashing through those pale blue eyes. She was a coward, he thought. So unlike the Moyashi.

"We don't think so… the doctor has already administered oxytocin, so the placenta should be expelled soon."

Kanda didn't have the faintest idea what the woman was talking about, but it sounded like the doctors were doing their job. "Good."

The nurse nodded, and Kanda returned to his silent vigil, ignoring the presence of Lenalee and Lavi.

:::

Allen came to at noon.

She stretched one eye open, then the other, finding her vision somewhat blurred. She tried to rub at her eyes, but found that a drip had been connected to her left arm.

"Allen! You're awake!"

Allen saw a flash of something dark, and then Lenalee came into view. She was bending over her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Groggy."

"You must be tired," Lenalee said. "You fell asleep right after the placenta came out, the doctors said."

"The baby's safe?"

"Of course. Don't you worry about that. You've done enough worrying for one day."

"How long have I slept?"

"About five hours. It's nearly noon now."

Allen shifted her head on her pillow. She could see something on the sofa at the other end of her room. "Is that Lavi?"

"Lavi?" Lenalee said, turning her head to look at the sofa. "No, dear, that's Kanda."

"Kanda? What's he doing here?"

"He's waiting for you to wake up. He's asleep now, though."

"Why is he sleeping here? He could have gone home to sleep…"

"He insisted," Lenalee said, shrugging. "He stayed up all night. He wanted to make sure you were safe and anyway he wasn't in any condition to drive, so I told him that he might as well just take a short nap here."

"Oh."

"Do you still remember what happened yesterday?"

"Not really," Allen said. The pain still clouded her memory and even now the pain nibbled at the edges of her consciousness. Childbirth was not play.

"He drove you here."

"I must thank him, then."

"Allen..." Lenalee's voice was hesitant. "I think I should tell you something."

"What is it?"

"It's… I'm telling you what I think is the truth, alright?"

"Just say it," Allen said, her smile plastered back on her tired face.

Lenalee stared at the shadows under Allen's eyes and the gauntness of her face. "You look really exhausted. I'll tell you the next time."

"Lenalee!"

"Take a rest now, Allen. I'll tell you in future."

"But –"

"Go to sleep," Lenalee said, smiling. "I'll take care of the baby and Kanda, don't you worry."

:::

"You'll be discharged tomorrow," Lavi said, bending over the bed.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Lavi said. "The doctors think you're fine."

It was now six in the evening, and Allen felt refreshed after a six-hour-long nap.

"Allen," Lavi said, "we'll pay for the hospitalisation fees, so don't worry about that. And I've already wired your fees to your bank account."

"Thank you."

"We should be the ones thanking you. I don't know how we can ever repay you… Lenalee and I desire a child very much, and your selflessness has allowed our dream to come true."

"It's no problem. I'm glad I could help you." Allen's face broke into a tired smile. "You gave me a chance to redeem myself."

A shadow crossed Lavi's face, but he smiled. "Kanda will pick you up tomorrow at eleven."

Allen raised a white brow.

"Yeah, you'll return to his house to recuperate. It has all been arranged. We'll bring the child there too so you can look at him!"

"Okay," Allen said, her simile stretching wide across her pale face.

:::

"Move," Kanda said, staring down at Allen.

Allen looked up from her seat on the sofa. "I've packed," she said, gesturing to the bag sitting beside her.

"Then what are you waiting for? You could just have gone down to the lobby, Moyashi."

"It's not yet eleven," Allen said. "I haven't been properly discharged yet."

Kanda shook his head slightly. "Noob."

"You know such words?" Allen said, her voice light and friendly. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"The hell?"

"I'll move when it's eleven, so stop nagging, Bakanda."

"Shit you," Kanda said, moving to take a seat next to Allen.

"Shit you too," Allen replied cheerfully.

Kanda glanced over at the girl sitting beside him. "Your stomach's gone flat."

"Did you think it'd stay all bloated?" Allen rolled her eyes. "Of course it's flatter now. The baby's come out. Of course, there's still some fat… I'll probably need to watch my diet and exercise like hell."

"You look thin enough…" Kanda mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, woman. Shut the hell up." Kanda looked away toward the white bed, his eyes tracing the outlines of the pillows. Lenalee had told him to be nice to Allen, but it was hard. Somehow his pride always refused to succumb to his will.

"Thanks for driving me here that day." Allen looked at Kanda, her eyes smiling.

"Che. If I didn't drive you here… you think you could have walked here?"

"Always so helpful," Allen said, laughing. "I saw you sleeping in this room yesterday."

"What?"

"I said I –"

"Lenalee told me you didn't wake up at all!" Kanda's eyes hardened.

"She probably didn't want to worry you…"

"I told that woman to wake me when you came to! Shit her."

"Stop with the foul language, Bakanda. She didn't want to disturb your sleep, more like."

"Che."

"Were you actually that tired? Aren't you invincible?"

"Stop acting like an idiot, Moyashi," Kanda said, shooting her an angry look. "I stayed up the whole damned night."

"Thanks," Allen said. "I didn't know you were such a good friend… I didn't mean to offend you."

Kanda shook his head gruffly.

"I'm almost sad to think about having to leave your house soon."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'll be moving out soon."

"No," Kanda said. "You're staying with me till you recuperate."

"I don't need long to recuperate," Allen said, giving a strangled laugh. "Then I'll be gone."

"What?"

"Nothing," Allen said. "I'm rather moody this morning. Don't take any notice of what I say."

Kanda shot her a concerned look.

"I'm serious. Don't take any notice of what I say," she repeated. "You know, women often suffer from post-natal depression after birth, so I might be acting a little funny. But don't worry about it."

Kanda wanted to ask more, because he didn't understand her words, but the look in her eyes was a forbidding one, and it kept his mouth shut for the moment. "Can we leave now?"

Allen glanced up at the clock. "I think so. About time to empty this room."

"Give me the bag."

"I'm not an invalid –"

Kanda reached for the bag anyway.

:::

The Bookmans brought the baby over the next day.

"He's so pretty!" Allen said, bending over Lenalee's arms.

"Yeah," Lavi said. "That's 'cause I'm his daddy!"

"That's bullshit," Kanda said.

"Yu begs to differ, of course. As usual." Lavi laughed and slung his arms around Kanda's shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie. Their feud of a few days ago seemed to have been forgotten and forgiven. "That being said, Kanda's children would be even prettier, don't you think, ehh, Allen?"

"I don't know about that," Allen said. "Wouldn't they be rather annoying at the same time?"

Kanda caught her wink and so kept his cool.

"Not angry, Yu?" Lavi said, not having caught the silent exchange between the two. "You're okay with Allen-chan insulting you?"

"Just shut up, Usagi."

"Yeah. Shut up, Lavi."

Lavi looked at Lenalee, an expression of hurt appearing on his face. "Darlin' –"

"Lavi, don't push it."

"Fine," Lavi sniffed, and turned back to his adulation of the baby.

"What's his name?" Allen asked.

"Why don't you guess?" Lavi's voice was chock full of glee.

"Uh, I don't know. Maybe Lavi the second?"

"That's a good name," Lavi said, "but no."

"His name's Deke," Lenalee said. "We named him after one of Lavi's favourite names. What do you think of it?"

"It sounds stupid, that's what," Kanda said.

Allen glared at Kanda. "No one asked for your opinion, Bakanda. I think it's sweet, Lenalee!"

"Good," Lenalee said, beaming.

"We can't stay too long, though," Lavi said. "This baby likes to nap at home."

"But don't worry we'll come by often," Lenalee said.

"No worries. Can I hold him for a moment, though?"

"Sure." Lenalee handed the infant to Allen.

Allen held the baby in the crook of her arms. She smiled at him, and he wrinkled his little button nose in response.

"He doesn't seem to like me," she said.

"He does," Lenalee assured her. "He likes to wrinkle his nose, so don't worry about it."

"Here," Allen said, handing Deke back to Lenalee. "He's cute!"

"We need to go soon," Lenalee said, looking at the clock. "It's about time to put him to bed."

"Maybe we should go now," Lavi said, "and give Kanda and Allen some alone time!"

"What?" Allen said.

"Usagi!"

"Looks like we've overstayed our welcome," Lavi said. He got up. "Come on, Lenalee."

Allen saw the happy couple to the door, leaving Kanda fuming in the room. Once they left she returned, only to find Kanda still sitting on his chair. He didn't seem to have moved.

"Why aren't you getting up?"

"Must I get up, Moyashi?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Allen said. "After all, this is your house."

"Che."

"You know, it feels so much better now that the baby's out. I feel lighter and more stable."

"And less fat."

"Stop that," Allen said, trying to suppress a smile but not quite succeeding.

"You like me insulting you."

"That's fiction; it's your own atrocious assumption. No normal girl likes to be insulted."

"You're not a normal girl."

"You bloody idiot."

"You look almost well," Kanda said, keeping his voice calm. "How long more will you take to recuperate?"

"I don't know," she said, looking away. "A day or two, possibly."

"Ahhh," Kanda said. He looked out across the lawn. "A day or two."

"Yes."

Kanda sighed softly. A day or two was too little. He wanted to spend more time with Allen… although he shivered as the thought filtered through his mind. He was becoming mellow, he thought.

"We should meet for dinner every week, after I leave here."

"What?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Allen shook her head. "Tsk. We should meet for dinner often. We are friends, aren't we?"

Kanda looked at her. For once, he thought, Allen's eyes appeared to be open and entirely clear, with no shadows lurking behind the deceptive grey.

"Yes."

Allen smiled. "That's good to hear."

"You make me sound like a heartless jerk."

"You are one."

:::

"I'll cook tonight," Allen said.

"I'll cook."

"No, let me cook. You'll revert to eating soba every meal when I leave, so you might as well try some new dishes today."

"What are you intending to cook?" Kanda asked, staring warily at the lettuce sitting on his counter.

"It's a surprise!"

"Che," Kanda said. "I'll help you."

"No –"

"You heard me."

"Fine," Allen said. "Seeing as this is your kitchen… I have no right to refuse. But you have to listen to my instructions! No sneaking to the soba cupboard when my back is turned!"

"Dramatic," Kanda said, with a shake of his head. "Fine, Moyashi. So what do I do?"

"Wash the lettuce," Allen said. "Make sure it's clean and there aren't any slugs."

"There are no slugs."

"You never know," Allen said.

"You're not pregnant anymore, so why are you so fussy?"

"Quit acting like a jerk. It's unattractive."

"Shit you."

"You know, you really should try to expand your bloody vocabulary," Allen said. "When you're done with the lettuce you can help me peel the potatoes."

"What are you making?" Kanda asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he placed the wet lettuce into a bowl.

"You just won't give it up, will you?" Allen sighed. "Salad, among other things."

"Salad. The hell? You must be kidding me."

"No," Allen deadpanned. "This is how you make salad, Bakanda."

"I don't want to eat salad."

"You can't eat soba every single day, now, can you?"

"I refuse," Kanda said, somewhat vehemently, "I refuse to eat salad, damn you."

Allen merely picked up the nearest knife and proceeded to slice a bulbous piece of garlic into bite-sized pieces. "Don't be so judgmental. Try it. You'll see."

"No."

"Kanda," Allen said, putting the knife down as she looked across at him, "at least try it before you deride it?"

"I tried salad before," Kanda said, grimacing. "Lavi gave me some before. It tasted like shit."

"Lavi can't cook," Allen said. "Even Lenalee admits that."

"And?"

"I can cook, so this salad will be much better."

"Che."

"Why are you so suspicious?" Allen asked. She shook her head at Kanda and proceeded with her cutting. "I promise you this will be nice."

"Fine," Kanda said. He frowned. "If it's disgusting you'll eat the whole damned thing up."

"I will," Allen said cheerfully, "and it's not going to be disgusting. Now be a dear and help me peel the potatoes."

The next hour passed with a great deal of peeling, chopping, and a general lack of conversation. It was a normal day for the two of them, except that they weren't preparing a meal that involved Kanda's sole favourite dish of soba.

"I like cooking," Allen said. She wiped her hands on Kanda's apron and rinsed the frying pan. "It's fun."

"It's troublesome," Kanda countered.

"I knew you had to contradict me. You're that sort of person…"

"The shit you're saying?"

"Can you please not say the word 'shit' in the kitchen, Bakanda?"

"This is my kitchen…"

"It's my kitchen at the moment too," Allen said. "Just indulge me for an hour or so?"

"Fine , Moyashi. I'll let it go this once."

'Dinner's ready!" Allen announced. "Here, take a seat."

"Salad?"

"Didn't you know that already?"

"Is that all we're having?"

"Kanda, do you know a single thing about having a meal in courses?"

"Not much. I don't need to know this sh-thing."

"Salads are often among the first dishes eaten," Allen said. "Now you know. This salad here, it's an appetizer salad."

Kanda rolled his eyes and stared doubtfully at the mixture sitting before him. There was something that resembled yellow sticks – that was probably the shredded cheese. Most of the salad consisted of the lettuce he had washed some time before. It didn't look too dangerous.

With a sigh, Kanda placed a forkful of the salad into his mouth.

"How is it?" Allen asked, leaning forward across the table.

Kanda's mouth quivered slightly. He seemed quite unwilling to speak – or perhaps he was about to start gagging.

"A true man," Allen said, "always speaks the truth."

"It's… edible," Kanda said. "Edible."

"Better than what Lavi gave you?"

"Yes," Kanda said. "Che. Women."

"I heard that," Allen said. "Now finish it up. We're having a three course meal!"

"Soba –"

"Let's not talk about soba today, Bakanda. Soba is boring and predictable, you idiot."

"You can't appreciate good food," Kanda said, but left it at that.

"You are_ such_ a jerk."

"You always say that," Kanda scoffed, "but look who brought you to the hospital."

"Stop harping on that," Allen said. "Anybody would have done that. You're just so mean that you'll think twice before you decide to do some good and render help to those in need."

"Damn you."

"The cursing again…"

"What's wrong with cursing?"

"I don't bloody like it."

"You just cursed."

"Urgh," Allen said. "It must be rubbing off on me."

"What?"

"Your foul mouth. Oh dear. The Noahs –" Allen stopped abruptly and dug ferociously into the remains of her salad.

"What about them?" Kanda asked, his fork spearing an olive. He looked at it distastefully.

"That's an olive," Allen said. "Eat it. It's good for you. I wasn't saying anything."

"You were about to say something."

"Shut your trap and eat. The food's getting cold."

Kanda frowned. He was sure Allen was hiding something – and he wouldn't allow her to get away with all that secrecy. He was going to get to the bottom of it on the morrow.

:::

At four in the morning, Allen sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It was time to rise and get ready for her journey into oblivion. She hoped Kanda hadn't woken yet.

With a soft creak, she got off the bed and crept to her door, opening it slightly before padding down the corridor. She paused outside Kanda's room, her bare feet already tingling from the cold. The carpet, soft as it was, didn't keep the heat well.

Allen could hear the quiet breath coming from Kanda's bedroom. She poked her head around the door. The man was sleeping peacefully, his chest rising and falling. She could see the ghost of a smile curling around his face – a smile that she didn't ever get to see in the day.

Allen turned to go, but found herself rooted to the spot. She was filled by an inexplicable need to touch Kanda's smooth, pale face. It was a need she didn't understand.

She reached out –

"Moyashi."

Allen withdrew her hand. Was Kanda awake?

* * *

A/N: I hoped this chapter was better than the last! I am aware that the last chapter was actually a filler chapter. I think Kanda was not really behaving like himself during the childbirth part here, but then again people act in strange ways when they're dead anxious.

So what did you think?

And – I couldn't reply vampire-charmer-101 and yuka, so here's a thank you for the comments you left! (:

Thanks for reading, and reviews/comments/suggestions would be appreciated (:


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything (:

* * *

**Chapter 17**

* * *

_Allen could hear the quiet breath coming from Kanda's bedroom. She poked her head around the door. The man was sleeping peacefully, his chest rising and falling. She could see the ghost of a smile curling around his face – a smile that she didn't ever get to see in the day. _

_Allen turned to go, but found herself rooted to the spot. She was filled by an inexplicable need to touch Kanda's smooth, pale face. It was a need she didn't understand. _

_She reached out – _

"_Moyashi." _

_Allen withdrew her hand. Was Kanda awake?_

:::

Keeping her distance from Kanda, Allen watched the scene, ready to crouch and pretend she wasn't there if Kanda sat up.

But Kanda did nothing of the sort. He merely grunted and pulled at the blanket, half of which was trailing on the cold, parquet floor.

Allen continued to keep her distance, watching Kanda's movements with wary eyes. He seemed to be asleep – but hadn't he just spoken?

"Moyashi," Kanda repeated, his fists clutching hard at the blanket.

Allen blinked and ducked, wincing as her sudden movements pulled on certain tendons that still ached from the birth. She continued to scrutinise Kanda from her position at the foot of his bed.

Kanda didn't move again. He lay stretched out on his bed, still under the covers. Allen watched in silence as his chest rose and fell in rhythmic patterns as he lay deep in peaceful slumber, his lean silhouette illuminated by the dim light from the street lamps that filtered through the window blinds.

In sleep, Kanda had left behind his angry and cold countenance, allowing a certain serenity to come through, softening his angular features.

He was beautiful, Allen thought, although when she thought of it again later it seemed something too blasphemous for her to say. He was almost too beautiful to be a male.

It was strange how fast her impression of him had changed. In the beginning he was but an annoying jerk who was good-looking but was unfortunately endowed with a foul mouth and a penchant for bullying her. Now, though, Kanda seemed a veritable god, his limbs outstretched and pale, looking as if he had been cast from marble. At the same time, she knew that he had a heart, though he certainly did take pains to hide it deep so that few could find it.

She didn't quite want to leave.

For the first time since she had made the agreement with the Noahs, Allen allowed her mind to wonder. Could she possibly back out at the very last minute? Could she walk up to Noah Enterprises the next morning and tell the Earl that she didn't want to leave her friends?

Could she allow herself to get to know Kanda, to allow Kanda to get to know her? He already knew about her past, anyway, so that wasn't so much of a tall order.

Maybe, just maybe, she could someday build a future together with Kanda. They would become good friends, first and foremost, and then someday she would fall crazily, irrevocably in love with him. Then they would walk down the aisle and live happily ever after.

It sounded good, this castle in the sky.

But – but it was a dream.

Kanda shifted again, the rustling of soft sheets penetrating Allen's thoughts. She stood up.

Kanda was still asleep – there was no doubt about that.

Again, Allen stared at Kanda, wishing that she didn't have obligations that tied her down.

With a sigh, she made her decision, cast her die.

With cold hands and bated breath she lightly touched Kanda's pale face, her fingers ghosting over the curve of his brow and the moons of his cheeks, shifting downwards to the angular set of his jaw.

Then she glanced up.

Kanda was still asleep. Good. Allen took in a deep breath of the cold night air, counting to ten before she removed her fingers from Kanda's still face. Then she turned away and padded out back to the dark enclave of her room.

When she left at five, Kanda's door was still closed, and there was no sound issuing from below his door. He was still asleep. She didn't bother to look in, though. If she did – she didn't know whether she could still bring herself to leave.

She pulled her luggage softly behind her as she headed down the hall toward the door, pushing back the bolts in silence. When the door creaked open noiselessly, Allen rubbed at her eyes and stepped out, feeling the remnants of the night frost crackle under her booted feet.

She was out.

Closing the door, she headed down the path, stopping at the gate for one last look at Kanda's house. She had gone there unwillingly at first, and now, she was leaving reluctantly.

She had stayed there for quite some time; it would be hard to forget the layout of the rooms, with memories lingering at every nook and cranny. She would not forget the pattern of the bedspread, nor would she forget the way her feet tingled as they first touched the floor in the morning during the wintry months.

She wouldn't forget the master of the house, either. She would remember Kanda and his long, flowing hair; she would remember his eyes, dark as the night sky and hollow with the pain of memories; she would remember the paleness of his skin and the leanness of his figure. She would remember his tendency to sprout foul words and the heart that lurked beneath his icy exterior.

With a small sigh on her lips and desolation lurking in the grey depths of her eyes, Allen nodded goodbye to the house and looked at her watch. It was now five-fifteen in the morning. She had until six before Kanda woke up and until about seven before he barged into her room to awaken her. That gave her about more than an hour before her escapade came to light.

She didn't look back as she trudged away, her footsteps heavy as she loomed smaller and smaller in the distance, melting away into the darkness.

:::

At five minutes to seven in the morning, Kanda finished his morning exercise and retreated to the kitchen to grab a cup of green tea.

He brewed his tea.

The next time he checked the clock, it was five minutes past seven, and therefore it was about time to wake the Moyashi up. She usually got up by herself, but she had seemed rather exhausted after the birth. He'd had to wake her over the past few days.

With his ceramic cup in hand, Kanda went up the stairs and paused outside the door to Allen's room. He couldn't hear the soft snores that sometimes travelled out from the room. Maybe she was up, he thought.

It wouldn't hurt to see.

He rapped his knuckles against the wooden frame of the door; the knocking sound reverberated around him, conspicuous and strange in its intensity.

Kanda frowned. There was something a little off. With a sigh he placed his empty palm on the door knob. He swung open the door, expecting to see Allen either still lying deep in slumber on the bed, or standing in the attached bathroom.

Then he blinked. And blinked again.

Allen was nowhere to be seen. The curtains had been drawn, and the weak sunlight filtered into the room, exposing the emptiness on the bed where Allen's body should have been. The bed had been made – the blanket had been neatly folded and placed at the foot of the bed. The creases on the bedspread were the only indication that someone had slept there before.

Kanda realised that his pristine guestroom had indeed returned. The walls were bare – and that dreadful picture Allen liked was now gone, leaving only a patch of wall where it had once hung.

"Shit," he said. "Shit."

A glint of white caught his eye. A sheet of paper lay on the desk at the side. Kanda hurried toward it, placing his cup down beside it.

The paper had been folded in half. Kanda stretched the paper out. Right in the middle of the white canvas sat some words, printed in Allen's handwriting.

_Dear Kanda_, it said,

_I have to go. I'm sorry for leaving like this – and thank you very, very much for the care and concern you showed me over this difficult period. I extend my gratitude to you._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Allen Walker._

"Damn," Kanda said. "Damn it."

:::

"Look," Kanda said, "I need to speak to Lavi right now."

The receptionist looked up, blinking nervously. "I'm so sorry, sir, but Mr Bookman is busy at the moment. I'm afraid you cannot meet him now."

"I need to meet him _now_."

Kanda leaned on the counter and crossed his arms, his eyes dark. The receptionist with her mop of mousy hair looked away and glanced at the floor as she bit her lip.

"I'm sorry, sir," she repeated, still not meeting Kanda's eyes. "But Mr Bookman –"

One of the doors behind the counter opened, and out stepped a man. "Hey, Sandra, I'm going out for a break now, so if anyone calls looking for me, just tell them that I'm busy or out or whatever you like. And I want those documents – hey, Yu! Why are you here? Got into a legal tussle again, did ya?"

"Shut up," Kanda said by way of reply. "Didn't this woman say that you were in a meeting? So why the shit do you look so cheerful and free?"

"Oops, did I tell her to say that?" Lavi said, beaming. "Well now, maybe I forgot about it!"

"Stop it. I didn't come here for a casual chat." Kanda moved away from the counter and went towards Lavi.

"Yes, man, what's up?"

"We'll go into your office."

"Maybe we could go and grab a coffee? 'Cause, I'm tired and –"

"Go in, Usagi!"

Lavi sighed and nodded, allowing Kanda to manhandle him into his own office.

"Now, what is it?" Lavi asked after settling back into his comfortable leather chair. He tapped his fingers on his desk. "What could be so important that Kanda Yu had to come find me early in the morning and keep me from my mid-morning snack?"

"Shut up, idiot."

Lavi rolled his eye. "Then tell your story. I'm all ears, I assure you."

"Moyashi's gone."

"Oh? What did you do to her this time?"

"It isn't my fault, alright?"

"What?"

"She left a note." Kanda slid the note across the desk.

Lavi grabbed the note and read it, and a poorly concealed look of confusion darted across his face. "What does this mean?"

"The hell I would know?"

"She seemed so happy yesterday…"

"I think," Kanda said, "I think she meant to leave like this for some time."

"Why didn't you mention it earlier, for heaven's sake?"

"I didn't know, Usagi!" Kanda retorted. "How could I have known for sure?"

"How… how did you start guessing, then?"

"Intuition?" Kanda said, shrugging. "I don't know. She just kept going on and on about a list of things she wanted to do. It was like a bucket list."

Lavi nodded. "That makes sense… do you think she was kidnapped?"

"No. Are you an idiot? She obviously planned this!"

"Right," Lavi said. "So you want to find her."

"No," Kanda said, though his eyes seemed to tell a different story.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Then why do you sound so indignant?"

"This shows me no gratitude, that wretch!"

"You just want her back, admit it," Lavi said, laughing.

"Damn you."

"I have no idea how we should set about finding her, though," Lavi said. "You have any clues where she might be?"

"Her store's closed."

"Well, obviously. If she went away she wouldn't return to a place you know, would she? Allen isn't stupid, y'know."

"Che."

"We could try the Noahs," Lavi said, rubbing at his chin. "They might know something…"

"Let's go then." Kanda pushed his chair back and stood up.

"Woah, woah, wait up, Yu!"

"Don't call me that!"

"You're not thinking, are you?" Lavi asked. "You can't just barge into The Ark and demand to know where Allen is!"

"_We_ are going to Noah Enterprises _now_."

"Yu –"

"Move."

Kanda left the room, and Lavi scrambled out of his chair to follow Kanda, who had left the office premises by then.

"Wait up!" Lavi called, quickening his steps to match Kanda's. "You're real worried, aren't you, buddy?"

"Hmph."

"I'll take that as a yes." Lavi nodded to himself. "So… what do we say when we get there?"

"You're the lawyer," Kanda said, glaring at Lavi. "You think of what to say."

"That's unfair!"

Kanda shoved Lavi toward the glass doors that stood closed before them. "Go."

Lavi caught himself before he stumbled into the door. He sulked a little before he pushed at the doors and opened them.

"Hey," Lavi said, looking at the woman manning the counter. Her skin was slightly grey – it looked somewhat unhealthy, almost as if she hadn't been exposed to enough sunlight.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"I, uh, I'm looking for either Miss Rhode Kamelot or Mr Tyki Mikk."

"Miss Kamelot is not in at the moment," the woman said. "But Mr Mikk is in. Please take a seat while I inform him."

Lavi nodded and gestured for Kanda to join him on one of the plush sofas surrounding the waiting room as the woman dialled for Tyki.

"This place is nice," Lavi said, eyeing the dark, panelled walls. "It has this whole gothic feel."

"Che," Kanda said. He glared at his shoes.

"Excuse me, who are you?" the woman asked, looking toward Lavi.

"Lavi Bookman."

The woman nodded, then whispered into the phone again. Finally she looked up and offered them a small smile.

'Mr Mikk is waiting for you," she said. "Just walk down that corridor, second door on the left."

Lavi nodded and led the way down the corridor in question. He stopped before the second door. He opened it, and they walked into a large oblong room divided into many cubicles. Right at the end they saw another door, this one with the words "Tyki Mikk" embossed in silver.

Kanda pointed. Lavi nodded and set off.

Now and then they caught snatches of conversation between the members of the staff, none of whom paid much attention to the two men. One member of the staff in particular, though, caught their attention.

There was a man talking on his telephone at a desk right before the cubicles came to an end. His long legs were half laid against the edge of his desk, and his voice was clipped and worried.

"Look," the man said, "our escorts are good. They provide high quality service. What you say would never have happened."

"Escorts?" Lavi mouthed, looking at Kanda.

Kanda looked scandalized for a moment, before he frowned. "If they made Allen work as an escort…" He flexed his fists.

"I get it, Yu," Lavi said. "Come on. We're almost there."

Lavi reached out and knocked on the wooden door.

"Come in."

Lavi entered the room with Kanda close behind him. Lavi stared at the man sitting behind the desk. "You –"

"Please close the door," Tyki said. "I don't want to distract my employees."

Kanda gave the door a hard push, and the door flew heavily into the door frame with a resounding crashing sound.

"That was rather unnecessary," Tyki said. "But please do take a seat."

"I'm afraid we haven't come to chat, Mr Mikk," Lavi said.

Tyki raised an eyebrow.

"I'll get straight to the matter, Mr Mikk. Allen Walker has disappeared, and we want to know where she is."

"Oh?" Tyki said. "In that case maybe you should inform the relevant authorities. Why have you come to me?"

"You damned idiots took Allen!" Kanda said, his eyes furious.

"Is it possible that you have fallen for the fair Allen?" Tyki asked, a mocking light in his eyes. "I trust there wasn't any sign of a struggle in your house, so how could you claim that we took Allen?"

"Shut up –"

"I'll handle this, Kanda," Lavi said. He leaned back and flashed a wide grin at Tyki. "Mr Mikk, we have every reason to believe that Allen has left to join you. Not by force, but perhaps by coercion. Could we ask that you return her?"

"Lawyers do indeed have brilliant logic and deduction skills," Tyki said, impressed. "But we Noahs are her friends, if you do not already know that, Mr Bookman."

"We would like to speak to Allen."

"She is not here."

"What have you done to her, you moron?" Kanda blurted out. "Have you sent her to work as an escort, you damned bastard?"

"Such language," Tyki said, shaking his head. "Allen is nowhere near the escort agency, though I am pleased with your observation skills. Honestly, Kanda Yu, you wound me with your faith in me."

"You son of a –"

"For the record," Tyki said, his voice now cold, "Allen has left you lot and come over to us on her own free will. Get that into your thick skull."

Kanda took a step forward, pure dislike stewing in his eyes.

"No," Lavi said. He caught Kanda's arm and pulled me toward the door. "That's all we'll get out of Mr Mikk, I think. Let's go."

"Good day," Tyki said. He nodded at the duo, triumph in his eyes.

"That bastard," Kanda said as Lavi closed the door. "He won't help us!"

"Did you really expect him to?" Lavi asked. He sighed. "Kanda, unclench those fists. Fighting won't get us anywhere."

"I'll beat him up –"

"You'll beat nobody up, Yu. Let's leave this place first before we decide what to do next."

Lavi pulled Kanda along, passing the rows of cubicles. He tried to think above the clatter of voices and phones ringing, until at last they emerged back in the waiting room.

"Have a pleasant day," the receptionist said, beaming at them.

"Damn you!" Kanda said, storming out.

"I'm sorry, miss, he's just in a bad mood," Lavi said, making sure to make eye contact with the woman, whose flustered expression betrayed her annoyance. "Thanks for your help."

Lavi rushed out after Kanda, catching his friend by his elbow. "Yu!"

"Don't call me that!" Kanda growled.

"What are you two doing here?"

They turned to the source of the girlish voice. Rhode Kamelot stood before them, her hair spiky and her large golden eyes dancing. She tilted her head to the side to observe them.

"You!" Kanda said. He clenched his fists again."

"Worried about Allen, I see," Rhode said.

Lavi opened his eye wide. He couldn't really believe how easily Rhode had let it be known that she knew more than they did about the matter. Oughtn't she be more cautious?

"What have you dumbasses done to her?" Kanda demanded.

Rhode shrugged her slim shoulders. "If she left your place willingly… then you should leave her be."

"Is she with you?" Lavi asked. "Staying at the mansion?"

"You're right," Rhode said, poking at her lower lip with one sharp fingernail. "She has gone to our mansion."

"Why? Did you threaten her?"

"Threaten her?" Rhode's pupils seemed to dilate. Lavi thought her eyes seemed rather catlike. She leaned forward, as if ready to pounce, then leaned back in an elegant arc and began to laugh. 'Threaten her!"

"It's not funny," Kanda said.

"No, it is! You actually think that lowly of us Noahs? We're her friends. She joined us for _you_, my dear Kanda Yu."

"What?"

"What does that mean, Yu?" Lavi looked at his friend, whose mouth was agape.

"Looks like I've let the cat out of the bag!" Rhode said, grinning. She looked straight at Kanda. "Well, then. I'll just have to let the truth slip, don't I? I can't wait to see the pain in your eyes when you know."

"What are you saying?" Lavi asked.

"Allen Walker joined us because we made a deal."

"What deal?" Kanda asked.

"I was getting to that. You hit her boyfriend up, you know. Bad choice. You got sent to court… and Allen didn't want you to be punished. She cares about you…"

Lavi's face paled. It couldn't be…

"What is it, Usagi?" Kanda asked, glancing at his friend's ashen face.

"He probably knows what happened," Rhode said. She beamed. "You're slow, aren't you, Kanda Yu?"

"You damned Noah –"

"Let me continue with my story, eh? Well, obviously you were going to lose the case."

"I wasn't –"

"Oh yes, you were. Lavi Bookman is a good lawyer, but he lacks experience in criminal law. There was no way you could have won, and Allen knew that. We've always wanted Allen to join us, but she always refused… as friends, we didn' t want to see her suffer, so we begged Master Millennium to help her."

"She accepted their offer, Kanda," Lavi said. He rubbed at his eyes.

"She agreed to join us if Master Millennium paid Leverrier off."

Kanda's movements were so quick that Lavi barely registered what was happening. One moment Kanda was beside him and the next moment Kanda was standing by Rhode, his hands on her shoulders.

"Tell me where she is," he said.

"No," Rhode said in her sing-song voice. "She doesn't want you to know."

"Tell me!"

"I will not." Rhode escaped from Kanda's grip. "You've lost her."

Then she laughed and slipped into The Ark, leaving behind a dumbfounded Lavi and a furious Kanda.

"Do you think," Lavi asked, when he had recovered his facility of speech, "that she was telling the truth?"

"What?"

"About Leverrier and the Earl. And the deal."

"I don't know," Kanda said. His voice was hoarse.

"It must be a shocking to hear that," Lavi said, struck by Kanda's sudden vulnerability. "Come on, don't bother with work today. I'll get Marie to close up for you."

Kanda nodded mutely, his fists still clenched tightly against the sides of his pants.

"Let's go," Lavi said.

:::

"Why are you home so early?" Lenalee asked.

Lavi propelled Kanda towards the nearest couch. "Kanda's kind of shocked."

"Why? What happened?"

"Look, Lena, Allen has disappeared."

"What? What do you mean, Lavi?"

"You heard him," Kanda said.

"When?"

"Either last night or this morning," Lavi said. He leaned over the bassinet and tickled Deke's cheek.

Lenalee shook her head. "No, no. I don't believe it!"

"Nor can we, actually. But there's more," Lavi said. "There's more to the story."

"I don't understand."

"It's like this," Lavi said. "Allen seems to have made an agreement with the Earl."

"What agreement?"

"She agreed to join them if they helped Kanda get out of the suit Link brought against him."

"She agreed?"

"Yes, darlin', she did."

"But – but – she could join the Noahs and still keep in touch with us. Couldn't she?"

"She can't, which is why she left without telling us."

"She could have told me," Lenalee said. "I would have helped her to think of a solution, a loophole."

"She probably couldn't. Bound by oath or something."

"Damned Noahs!" Kanda said.

"Poor Kanda," Lenalee said. "You poor, poor man."

Kanda only shook his head.

:::

"Lenalee?" Lavi said, sitting up. "What are you doing?"

Lenalee was hunched up beside him, her legs drawn up to her chest. "I can't sleep."

"Thinking about Allen?"

"Yes. I should have stopped her…"

"You couldn't have, dearest. It's not your fault."

"Did you see Kanda's expression today? I know he feels terrible. It breaks my heart to see them like this."

"What do you mean?"

"Couldn't you tell, Lavi? I thought you knew. They're in love."

"With each other? Nah," Lavi said, "they're not."

"Yes, they are! Kanda is in love with Allen."

"So it's true… I didn't expect it to be true. I just wanted to tease Yu."

"I'm not too sure if Allen feels the same way about Kanda, but I think she does. I should have told her!"

"Eh?"

"I wanted to tell her about Kanda and his feelings that day when she woke up… but I decided not to. I thought I would have a far better opportunity to speak about it. But I won't ever get a chance to now. Their happiness is ruined and it's my fault!"

"You're not crying, are you, dearest?" Lavi reached out, touching his wife's cheek gingerly. "You are."

"It's my fault!"

"No, it isn't. Allen would have left all the same, had you told her."

"You really think so?"

"I know so, darlin'."

"But –"

"It's not your fault, Lena. Really. Allen would have left anyway, because she had a promise to honour and you know how Allen is. She always keeps her promises or dies trying. You didn't tell her – and now at least she doesn't have to worry about Kanda's feelings."

"What if she likes him too? Then she'd be in pain…"

"She made the choice, Lena. She has to live with the consequences. We all do." Lavi sighed.

Lenalee nodded, pushing her legs back down flat against the bed. Lavi could see her silhouette in the darkness, her hair falling about her face.

"Dearest," he said, reaching for her hand, "it's time to sleep. Worry about Allen and Kanda tomorrow."

:::

Some streets away, Kanda lay on his bed, hands tucked under his head. He couldn't sleep. It was already nearing midnight – on a normal day he'd have closed his eyes within ten minutes of getting under the covers. But today – today he'd tossed and turned and a whole hour had passed since he slipped under the sheets.

He couldn't sleep.

Where was the Moyashi? Why had she left without telling them of her plans? Did they all mean nothing to her? Had she really agreed to join the Noahs in order to save him from being sent to jail?

The roads were quiet tonight, he realised, as his feet turned cold. He slipped them back under the blanket. A solitary car whizzed past outside, the purr of its engine merely a buzz in his ears.

The night was quiet… she must have left late last night, creeping out the door, hiding in the shadows.

She should have talked to him – but then again, she wouldn't. He'd known time and again that she was a person who would give her all to others, saving only a little for herself. He should have known when she came up with that to-do list. He should have known – and he should have stopped her.

And he loved her.

That realisation had sneaked up on him about a month ago, but he had never known it clearer than the present moment. The despair that ran through him at the thought of never seeing her again was almost unbearable.

He grunted, shifting in bed. There was nothing he could do now… but when morning came, he would search for her again.

And he would find her.

:::

"Allen?"

"Tyki? Is that you?"

"Yeah." A dark form slipped into the room.

Allen fiddled with the bedside lamp. "Tyki. What are you doing here at this time?"

"Checking on you. I thought you wouldn't be able to sleep."

"You're a good friend," Allen said, smiling.

"So… how are you feeling?"

"Tired," she said. Which was true – she was indeed tired beyond measure.

"Rhode wanted to come over to your room, but I told her to stay put."

"Good choice."

"Homesick, eh?"

"Somewhat," Allen said, her head drooping.

"This feeling will pass," Tyki said. "I know. I went through it before."

"You did?"

"I wasn't always a member of the Noah family… once upon a time I worked in the mines. Then I joined the Earl. It was hard at first… but I managed. Once you show your loyalty to this family, the Earl will allow you to meet your old friends again."

"That sounds promising," Allen said, but Tyki could still see the weariness in her eyes.

"Get some sleep. It might help." He got up and dusted off his pants. "And by the way, your friends came looking for you today."

"Pardon?" Allen's expression, once neutral, had now turned to one of shock.

"They came to The Ark. Kanda Yu and Lavi Bookman."

"What did you tell them?"

"Nothing," Tyki said, "that they didn't already know."

"Alright."

"But Rhode told them about your deal. I'm sorry, Allen."

"She what?" Allen shook her head. "I – that – I guess it can't be helped now."

"I'm sorry," Tyki said again. He nodded at her. "Good night."

"Good night," Allen said.

She switched the light off as Tyki closed the door behind him. The room was plunged into darkness, the shadows perching in their corners as the weak orange light filtered in from the streets. The night was so different here in the Noah mansion.

At Kanda's house and her own apartment, the street lights fell through the window panes in perfect lines, blocked only by solid objects. Here, the street lights were dim, and the shadows seemed to move with a life of their own.

She missed Kanda's house. She missed Kanda's reassuring presence.

Allen shut her eyes and tried not to think.

:::

The next day, Lenalee found Kanda standing outside Judgement, his eyes blank. She walked over to her friend and leaned against the parapet.

"Kanda?"

Kanda's eyes flickered toward her, and Lenalee was shocked by the dark circles that lay under the rims of his lids. Kanda's skin was good, and she had never seen him with eye bags before.

"You okay, Kanda?" Lenalee asked again, placing a hand on his stiff shoulder.

Kanda didn't say anything. He chose instead to shift his gaze back to the dark storefront, his dark eyes probing the shadowy interior, as if he could hope to pick the lock and enter the shop that way.

"You know, Kanda, I came up here because I wondered if there was the slightest chance that Allen would come back... come back here, I mean."

"Lenalee," Kanda said, "you…"

"I miss her too, you know. You're not the only one."

"I don't miss her," Kanda said, his back becoming straighter as he said that.

"That's a lie, and we both know it. I've known you for so long, Kanda. You think I wouldn't know?"

"Che."

"You looked just like that when Alma… went."

"Don't talk about that."

Lenalee patted Kanda's forearm. "We'll help, I promise you. Alma's gone, true, but Allen – we can still find Allen. She's still around somewhere."

"She's gone. She doesn't need us. We don't need her."

"That's where you're wrong, Kanda. You need her. Look at yourself."

"I look fine."

"You have eye bags! How is that fine? You've never had them before. I told you that you can't fool me." Lenalee shifted her weight back to her feet and smiled now that the cold steel bar no longer pressed into her back.

"Insomnia."

"And Allen caused that insomnia. Kanda, let us help you!"

Kanda looked at her, and Lenalee was shocked by the intensity of his gaze. "She can't be found."

"I'm sorry," Lenalee said. "It's partly my fault. I should have told her long ago that you liked her…"

"You what?"

"I wanted to tell her after she gave birth… but she was too tired."

"It wouldn't have helped."

"That's what Lavi said, but I still think she would have thought twice about leaving if she knew."

"No," Kanda said. He flexed his fingers and stretched lightly. "She wouldn't."

"But –"

"And I have to thank her for getting my ass out of jail, huh. I feel grateful for that – but at the same time, I want to kick her for not telling me how she did it. We could have worked out a solution. "

Lenalee blinked, staring at Kanda with a dumbfounded expression. Kanda didn't normally make such long sentences, and she had never heard him express his gratitude before, anyway. Maybe Allen really had been a good influence.

"What?" Kanda asked. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Nothing," Lenalee said. "I just realised how important it is for us to get Allen back."

:::

Allen walked down the aisle, her black heels making satisfactory clicking sounds against the parquet floor.

"Ms Walker," her new secretary said, "Mr Mikk is waiting for you in your office."

"Thank you," Allen said, nodding at the woman.

"Allen!"

"Tyki," Allen said. She walked behind her desk and sat down, smoothing down her pencil skirt. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see my friend. How are you doing? The workload's fine?"

"Yeah. I haven't much to do at the moment… so I'm just sitting here staring at the wall."

"You want to help me with paperwork?"

"No," Allen said. She smiled and wagged her finger at Tyki. "You do your own work."

"Damn," Tyki said. "Thought I could pass it on to you."

"You wish," Allen said. She leaned back in her chair. "The Earl's going to brief me later…"

"Telling you about your job scope and all, huh? I wish you luck, Allen."

"Will I need luck?"

"You'll see," Tyki said. He reached in his pocket for his cigarettes and lighter.

"Please don't smoke here."

"You're no longer pregnant…"

"Please, Tyki."

"Fine," he said, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth. "I saw your friends again."

Allen's head shot up, and he could see her flustered expression. "Did they come to harass you again?"

"Me? No."

"Then…"

"They were lurking outside Judgement," Tyki said, playing with his lighter. "Kanda Yu and Lenalee Lee, I mean."

"Oh."

"I think they are unable to forget you, Kanda Yu in particular." Tyki smirked.

Allen raised a brow, biting her lip as she fought to keep her expression neutral. "Is that so?"

"I know you are unable to forget them, either." Tyki took a step backwards. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know."

"I am not –"

"I have to go now," Tyki said, looking down at his cellular phone. "Busy day. Have fun in your office, friend!"

When Tyki was gone, Allen stood up and paced the room, her light steps almost going unheard as her feet sank into the soft carpet. So they were looking for her. She should have known that they would never give up… thank goodness she had not returned to that little dingy apartment she used to live in before.

But – but a strange feeling of joy rose in her chest. She was worried, of course, that they would indeed find her and try to drag her back – that wouldn't be pleasant, of course – but deep down she wanted to see them all again. Especially Kanda.

She didn't know why she missed Kanda so much, though. He was a jerk through and through – but she just couldn't seem to stop thinking about him. She had spent the previous night tossing in bed, her mind fixed on memories. In fact, memories involving Kanda had popped up far too frequently.

Kanda, Kanda…

Allen paused at her window. From where she stood she could see a stretch of the city, right down to the bay some distance away. There were so many people on the streets, so many dreams being thought up, so many dreams being dashed, so many births, so many deaths, so many reunions, so many separations… all at the very same time.

There was something strange about fate, Allen thought, letting her eyes drift idly along the road below her.

Then something caught her eye – it was a flash of something silky, of something dark.

Kanda's hair.

Allen leaned forward. There, right smack in the middle of the busy street, was Kanda, his hair tied up and as ethereal as ever. She could roughly make out the figures of Lavi and Lenalee beside him. They seemed to be having an argument of some sort…

Then Kanda looked up. She could see him through the tinted window, though he could not see into her office. At that moment, it seemed as if their gazes interlocked; she felt a thrill course through her body, sending a tingling feeling all the way to her toes.

"Kanda," Allen said, placing her palms on the glass panels that separated them.

He did not look away.

* * *

A/N: I worked hard on this chapter. I had a lot I wanted to write for this chapter but things became repetitive after a while. I hope it didn't bore you too much (:

I couldn't bring across the raw emotion I wanted to portray in this chapter… but I guess it doesn't matter. After all, I had fun writing this.

And – thanks for reading. All comments/suggestions are welcome (:


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own this!

* * *

**Chapter 18**

* * *

_Then something caught her eye – it was a flash of something silky, of something dark. _

_Kanda's hair. _

_Allen leaned forward. There, right smack in the middle of the busy street, was Kanda, his hair tied up and as ethereal as ever. She could roughly make out the figures of Lavi and Lenalee beside him. They seemed to be having an argument of some sort… _

_Then Kanda looked up. She could see him through the tinted windows, though he could not see into her office. At that moment, it seemed as if their gazes interlocked; she felt a thrill course through her body, sending a tingling feeling all the way to her toes. _

"_Kanda," Allen said, placing her palms on the glass panels that separated them. _

_He did not look away. _

:::

It was Allen who looked away first.

Kanda had kept looking up for a full minute, despite the fact that he could see nothing save a vague shadow against the tinted one-way window. Allen, likewise, glanced down, her eyes fixed on Kanda's face, as if memorising each and every feature to perfection.

Then Allen averted her eyes, breaking the semblance of contact between the two.

It felt good, that staring. She missed Kanda. She missed him so, so much. It felt strange spending a day away from him and his caustic tongue – it felt strange having one less verbal-sparring partner. She felt unfulfilled – she felt empty.

Behind her, she heard a thud. For a moment, her heart sprang in her chest – _was it Kanda?_ – before her head shook that thought away. Turning to the doorway, she schooled her expression into one of polite curiosity.

"Good afternoon, Earl," she greeted. "You're here."

"Yes, good afternoon," the Earl said. "I see you're not busy at the moment."

"You haven't explained my job scope to me yet," Allen said, her smile gentle.

"Yes, yes, I know that." The Earl moved forward toward the sofa that sat at one end of the office. "I've come to brief you."

Allen nodded in acknowledgement.

"You know, your Uncle Neah once worked for us."

"Yes," Allen said. "He did."

"He was a good worker, Neah was. Brilliant man; his work is still unequalled today. Even Rhode… even Rhode can't do what he could. But he strayed too much… we couldn't have it."

"What do you mean?"

"He strayed," the Earl repeated. "And so we had to remove him. Poor chap. He was a good worker… one of my most trusted subordinates…"

"He –"

"Let's not talk about him now, my dear. I'm so glad you've come to join us."

"Uh, thank you for accepting me!"

"Now, now, child, it's a pleasure to have you with us. Rhode and Tyki have been blowing your trumpet for you!"

"If I may ask, Earl, what exactly is my job scope?"

"Ah, yes. That. I was just coming to it," the Earl said. He paused and wiped his brow; Allen could see grey streaks appear on the white face of the handkerchief, the dirt lying across the embroidery at the corners.

Allen nodded, trying to look away from the piece of linen.

"You see, Allen, your job is simple," the Earl said. He looked directly at her, and she felt as if his gaze was melting her and pulling her inside out.

"Is that so?"

"Don't interrupt me, child," the Earl said. "You're going to take over Neah's responsibilities."

Allen cocked her head and continued to stare at the Earl, waiting for him to continue his explanation.

"You see… what the Fourteenth, that is, Neah, did was to carry out some programming duties. To keep our secrets secret and safe from prying eyes. Especially from the likes of Leverrier."

"I can't programme," Allen said. She looked dumbfounded.

"I know that," the Earl said. "Neah couldn't do it at first. Who can programme without being taught?"

"But – "

"Ahhh," the Earl said, wagging his finger, "there are no 'buts'. You can and will learn how to programme. You surely don't want to worry your friends outside? Surely you want to live up to Neah's legacy?"

"I –"

"See," the Earl said, "We believe that Neah left you a secret emblem or code. Some of our documents are hidden under the protection of that code, and without you we cannot hope to look at them again. Rhode and I can dissemble most of the security codes, but… we have never yet managed to break through Neah's maze."

"I don't know a single thing about codes," Allen said. She fidgeted and sank down into her chair. "This – this is really a difficult task."

"He did leave you something," the Earl insisted. "You'll find it somehow."

Allen looked up, her grey eyes locking with the Earl's own inscrutable ones.

"Won't you?" he asked, a smile creeping up his face.

"I'll try," Allen said, wondering what on earth had possessed her to say such a thing. "If I can."

"I'm sure you can," the Earl said. He rose, extending a gloved hand to her. His fingers appeared bloated, encased as they were within the white fabric.

"I'm grateful you think so highly of me," Allen said. She rose too, and walked him to the door. "Have a good day."

"See you at the mansion," the Earl said. He paused at the doorway. "At dinner."

Allen nodded, before she closed the door on his back. With a sigh she walked over to the window, glancing down, searching frantically for a glimpse of midnight black, for a flash of red, for a pair of long legs. But she saw nothing – nothing but a sea of people fighting their way down the streets.

So they had gone while the Earl talked to her.

Allen's heart sank right down to her stomach, her heart pumping rapidly as if it were trying to flush the disappointment out of her system. With another small sigh hanging from her lips, Allen clutched at her desk and allowed herself to cry for a few minutes.

It really was too tiring – to see her friends, but unable to reach out to them. If she wanted to, she could pick the phone up and dial any one of their numbers. She could do that. Almost unthinkingly she reached out for the receiver, her other hand resting on the first button.

Then Allen retracted her hands, letting the receiver fall onto the desk with a loud bang.

_I can't do this_, she thought to herself. _I can't endanger them. I promised the Earl. But –_

She clasped her hands together, willing herself to stay sane and not to give in to the voice in her head that told her to call Kanda. Or Lenalee. Or Lavi. Even Bookman.

"I can't do this," she said out loud. "I can't."

Shaking her head, Allen picked the receiver up again and replaced it on its hook, all the while trembling inside. She couldn't – she couldn't. Couldn't. Or was it wouldn't?

"I can't," she repeated to herself. "I can't."

Laying her head down on her desk, she allowed herself to lose control for some time. When she finally felt sufficiently relieved of her pain, she sat up straight again and straightened her grey skirt. It was almost time to return to the mansion, though the idea of dinner with the Noahs didn't appeal to her in the slightest.

What she needed now, after all, was rest and food and sleep, and not dinner with a raucous crowd.

But Allen got up anyway, fiddling with her folders and tidying her office. When she was done she left the mall, making sure that Kanda, Lavi and Lenalee were nowhere in sight.

The drive home was a tough one – the car wasn't easy to control, for one, because she had driven only infrequently before this and she hadn't gotten the hang of this car because she had just gotten it yesterday evening and anyway her thoughts were too jumbled up to enable her to concentrate fully on the road.

And then her phone started to vibrate against her pocket.

For a moment, Allen wondered who it was – then one hand left the steering wheel and fished the phone out. She glanced briefly at the face of the phone to ascertain the caller's identity. For a second, her heart stopped beating as the thought that it might actually be Kanda flashed through her mind.

Then she crashed back to reality as she saw Rhode's name flashing on the screen.

"Hello?" Allen said. "What is it, Rhode?"

"Are you almost here, Allen?" Rhode asked, her voice a tad whiny. "We're all waiting for you!"

"Pardon?"

"We're all here. Uh, except for Cyril and Lulu Bell. Come on, hurry up! Do you need Tyki to fetch you?"

"No," Allen said. She tucked the phone between her cheek and her shoulder before stepping on the accelerator pedal. "I'm almost there. I'm at the gates, actually."

"Yeah, Tyki saw you on the screens."

"Screens?"

"Security clearance screens… never mind about that. You're here, so hurry up and come in!"

The line went dead.

Allen shoved the phone back into her pocket, trying to reverse the car properly into the correct parking lot. She couldn't get in on the first try. With a sigh she rolled the window down and stuck her head outside to get a better view before reversing again.

"You're not that good at driving, huh."

Allen looked up. Tyki was standing to the side, leaning against the electric blue car beside which she was trying to park. A cigarette sat between his lips, and a trail of smoke curled up into the purple sky.

Allen wrinkled her nose and continued to reverse her car.

"I get it," Tyki said. He chuckled. "No smoking, right?"

"Yes, that's right," Allen said. She glanced once again at the rear and decided that her parking position was satisfactory. "And really, Tyki, I haven't had many chances to drive, so _do_ pardon me for being lousy."

"Sarcastic, aren't you?" Tyki said. He pulled the cigarette from his mouth and squashed it beneath the heels of his shiny patent shoes. "Long day at work?"

"I wish," Allen said. "If only…"

"Work does help take your mind off things," Tyki agreed.

"Like off Lulu Bell?"

"Rhode!" Allen said, catching sight of her friend.

Rhode came out from behind the blue car, her mini dress showing off lots of leg.

Tyki turned to her and shot her a glare. "Stop talking about Lulu Bell."

"Admit it," Rhode said, "you like her!"

"I don't," Tyki said. He looked away. "You should stop spreading untruths. Didn't Cyril teach you that?"

"No, he didn't" Rhode said, grinning. "And I don't care what you think, Tyki."

"Why are you here?" Allen asked, who was trying to break into the conversation at the earliest chance. "Both of you."

"We came to get you," Rhode said, her eyes wide. "That was a stupid question…"

"We thought you might feel weird going in alone," Tyki said. He grinned.

"Thanks," Allen said.

"You're smiling!" Rhode said, taking Allen's hand. "Come one, let's go in. I'm starving!"

"As am I," Allen said.

"You always are," Tyki said.

Allen's stomach chose that moment to make known its displeasure at being left empty; the rumbling washed over them like thunder. Tyki laughed, and Allen and Rhode followed suit.

The three entered the house together, Tyki and Rhode standing such that they flanked Allen on both sides. After the quiet, calm exterior, the inside of the mansion was as noisy as a playground.

"Give it back!" Debitto yelled, whizzing past them.

"I won't," Skin said.

"What?" Jasdero said. He started to sulk.

"We want it back," Debitto said, having reached Skin's chair. "Give it to us _now_."

"You are such children," Wisely said. He rolled his eyes.

"Stop it," Rhode said. "Jasdevi! Stop bothering Skin and get over here."

"What?" Debitto said, his tone icy, but he glanced over anyway. "Allen!"

"Allen!" Jasdero said. He got up, beaming.

"Allen's here," Tyki said, itching for a cigarette.

"We can see that, you know."

The speaker was behind Allen – and the speaker was Lulu Bell. Her eyes were dark slits in her face, and her slim, red lips were pursed together.

"Lulu Bell," Tyki said.

Rhode winked at Allen. "Here goes!"

"You always tease them so…"

"No, I only tease Tyki. It isn't fun to tease Lulu Bell at all," Rhode said.

"I can hear you," Tyki said, directing a pseudo- glare their way.

Rhode pulled Allen away from the door. "Let's go. I saved you a seat beside me!"

"And me," Tyki said. "You're sitting between us. Aren't you glad to have such friends!"

"Uh, yes," Allen said. She smiled and perched on the seat offered to her.

"We have to wait for the Earl," Debitto said, leaning across Tyki to talk to Allen. "He's late again today."

"The Earl has many things to attend to," Lulu Bell said, her frosty voice floating across the table. She was seated just opposite Allen, and her cat-like eyes bore deep into Allen's own. Vaguely, Allen wondered if Lulu Bell harboured some dislike toward her because of what Cross tried to do to her in the past.

"Indeed," Tyki said, the end of his unlit cigarette drooping below his chin. "That's always the case, it seems."

"Do you have something against the Earl?" Lulu Bell asked, her dark eyes flickering.

"No, I don't. I'm just stating a fact."

"The Earl is a busy man and you know it."

"Oh, sure I do, except I'm not the one who spends half my time lingering outside his office. _I_ spend most of my time doing my work, Lulu dear."

"They're at it again," Rhode told Allen, her molten eyes sparkling. "It's always amusing to watch."

"We love adding oil to their fuel," Debitto said, leaning backward to get a better view.

"Add oil to fuel!" Jasdero agreed.

"The correct phrase is add oil to fire, isn't it?" Allen asked.

"Who cares?" Rhode said. "Just watch them."

"Babies," Wisely said, fingering a lock of his hair. "The lot of you."

"And you're so high and mighty, Wisely?" Rhode asked. "You're as baby-ish as the rest of us."

"Don't talk to me, Rhode," Wisely said, his gaze fixed on the strands of hair that fell around his cheeks.

"The Earl's coming," Lulu Bell said, breaking the fights up. "Get to your seats and shut up."

"Ever the naggy mum," Tyki muttered, yanking his cigarette out of his mouth.

"My Noahs!" the Earl said, entering the room. His bulk filled up the doorway, and the tip of his top hat brushed against the frame of the door.

"Earl," they said in unison.

"We have Allen Walker here with us today," the Earl said, walking slowly to his seat. "Let's welcome her!"

Muttering voices broke out across the table, and Allen could hear snatches of speech, some of which sounded remarkably like 'welcome, Allen.'

She nodded at them all, flashing them a gentle smile.

"Let's all work together for the continued success of Noah Enterprises," the Earl said, when the chatter died down. "Let us partake of our dinner."

When she thought about it again, Allen couldn't remember much about the dinner – or the conversations she had. She vaguely remembered Tyki and Rhode trying to engage her in another fiery talk, with Jasdebi listening from the sides. Skin might have offered her some dessert, and Wisely tried to make small talk across the table, though his attempt could hardly be deemed successful since she couldn't hear him anyway.

What she did remember in the days that came after was that Lulu Bell stared at her throughout dinner, her eyes boring deep into Allen's own. It left a chill on Allen's skin – and burned away at her resolve not to flee from the mansion.

Allen didn't know why the Noahs wanted her. That question perturbed her greatly, because the Earl's explanation had made no sense at all. Uncle Neah hadn't taught her anything; he hadn't been a big part of her life when he was still alive, really, so why would he even take the trouble to involve her in his matters?

Furthermore, why did Lulu Bell stare at her that way? Cross was indeed an annoying, dirty-minded fellow at times, and Allen couldn't truthfully say that she respected him, but many women found his advances to be charming. And even if Lulu Bell had been repelled by Cross, was that any reason why she should take her anger out on his ward?

Dinner didn't go down easy for Allen. Among other things, these questions troubled her and burdened her stomach, leaving behind only a little space for the food that she so desperately wanted to eat.

"Not hungry?" Tyki asked, a knowing light in his eyes.

"Yeah," Allen said. "Butterflies in my tummy, you know? It's scary meeting new people."

"That's not true, Allen," Rhode said, "and you know it. You never get nervous meeting new people."

"I do," Allen said, her words coming out a tad too defensively.

"Oh? I never noticed," Tyki said, "which is strange 'cause I notice a lot of things."

Allen shook her head. "Guys, please…"

"She's telling you to mind your own business!" Devitto chimed in, smirking. "Right, Allen?"

"Look who got the answer," Allen said. She tried to smile.

Tyki shrugged and refocused his attention on the glass of port beside his plate, while Rhode started to hum to herself. Loneliness again washed through Allen, dragging her inside out as the minutes crawled past. She wondered if she could excuse herself then and there and make her way up to her room… but she thought better of it, since the Earl probably wouldn't be too happy with that.

Then it struck her – she missed the dinners she used to partake in at Kanda's place. Kanda was well-off, but he certainly wasn't as rich as the Earl. The rich food and the fancy plates were nice and novel, but Allen wished that she was back in the kitchen in the suburban house where Kanda lived, his middle-class status uncompromising and safe.

Allen stared at the silver plate lying in front of her, some food pushed to the side, the carrots an indistinguishable mush. Kanda's house came to mind again, this time complete with the image of the owner walking down the kitchen, his silky hair swinging as he walked, plates piled on the tray in his hands.

With a small groan, Allen rubbed at her temples. Was dinner never going to end? She really didn't think she could continue sitting there much longer, the crass conversation of the Noahs ringing in her ears.

"I think Allen should go to bed soon," Tyki said.

Allen looked up, mouthing the word 'what?' at her friend.

"She looks tired," Tyki said. He looked at Rhode, waiting for her to back him up.

"Yeah," Rhode said, her golden eyes bright. "Allen looks tired. Master Millennium, it's okay if Allen retires to bed first, right?"

The Earl's face turned toward Allen, as if scrutinising her. "Yes. You do look tired, Allen. Maybe you want to proceed to your room?"

"That would be wise," Tyki said, giving Allen a small nudge.

"Yes, that would be nice," Allen said, getting the message. Her friends were trying to help her out – they could clearly sense her discomfort. "I'll be going, then. Good night!"

She left, her thoughts in a haze. She could not tell, later, how she had managed to find her way to her room – but she did.

Once she got to her door, she wrenched it open and threw herself onto her bed without undressing. She couldn't take it anymore. Everything reminded her of her life before the Noahs – Lavi's winks, Lenalee's smiles, and most of all, Kanda's angry faces.

Thoughts of the three swam in her head, and Allen clutched at her clothes, trying to shut the images out.

After a while, Allen took her cell phone out, her fingers lingering over Kanda's number. If she were to press it… no one would know if she didn't tell, if she didn't speak. She just wanted to listen to Kanda's voice again.

Kanda's home phone didn't have a caller identification function… it was absolutely tempting.

She pressed the dial button.

Kanda's home phone started to ring. Allen held her cell phone close to her ear, listening attentively.

One ring. Two rings. Three. Now it was four. He wasn't picking up.

The fifth ring came and went. Then the sixth. Then the seventh. Resigned to the cruelty of fate, Allen decided to end the call.

Then Kanda picked up.

"Hello?" he said, his voice hoarse.

Allen kept silent, basking in that delightful moment when she heard Kanda's voice again.

"Hello?" he said again, irritation seeping into his tone. "Who the shit is this?"

Two seconds passed before Kanda spoke again. "Is this you, Moyashi?"

Silence, again.

"If you don't talk, whoever you are, I'm going to hang up."

Silence again silence.

"Damn you."

He hung up, as promised.

On her end, Allen held onto her phone, its smooth contour pressed against the curve of her ear. A prickling sensation began behind her closed lids, and she reached out to curl her side against the mattress, her body sinking into the feathery softness.

Later she got up to switch the light off, but for the longest time, she couldn't sleep. The night passed in a blur of tears and stifled sobs, her phone now held in her palm, close to her heart.

:::

The dawn washed slowly over the land, and Allen's red-rimmed eyes looked out from under her quilt. She was tired beyond measure, and her heart was heavy. Outside, a soft orange glow crept up along the horizon, signalling the start of yet another brand new day.

The start of another day – without Kanda – seemed anything but appealing.

:::

- Two months later –

:::

"She's been gone for two months," Komui said, sipping lightly. "Don't you think it's about time to give up?"

Kanda scowled, the light streaming in through the stained-glass windows illuminating the dark circles under his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

"That maybe you should give up."

"No."

"I see you really do like her." Komui smiled.

"Shit you," Kanda said.

"My dear boy, if you want love, you have to work for it." Komui nodded vigorously, his beret dangling at a dangerous angle above his hair. "Or fight for it."

"I know that."

"Don't be such a peevish old man," Komui said.

"Why did you ask me to tea?" Kanda asked, his eyes dark. "You don't even like tea that much… Get to the point."

"Lenalee was worried about you," Komui said, shrugging. "She said you haven't returned her calls in over a week. Lavi says the same."

"Che."

"I've also heard that you haven't worked in a fortnight."

"Is that any business of yours?"

"No need to be so touchy, Kanda," Komui said, leaning forward, a glint in his eyes. "And, if you must know, Marie told Tiedoll about you, and your father is worried."

"He's not my father," Kanda said, but Komui noticed that the vehemence that used to accompany this statement was now mostly lacking.

"I'm sorry," Komui said. "For how things turned out."

"Why should you be?" Kanda's laugh was dry and hard. "It isn't your fault."

"Why haven't you gone to her office?"

"What?"

"Her office," Komui repeated. "You could go to The Ark and request to speak to Allen."

"I could," Kanda said. "But no, I won't."

"Why not?"

"She left us all," Kanda said. "Why should I plead with her to come back?"

Komui stared at the younger man, unsure what to say. '_Because you're in love with her'_ hung on the tip of his tongue, but he thought better of uttering the words. "Well now, I wouldn't know that, would I?"

"Che, of course you wouldn't, asshat."

"Don't be rude to your seniors," Komui said, trying to look stern by pushing his glasses up his nose. "I've noticed that you've become more sullen after Allen left."

"That's shit," Kanda said.

"And more vulgar," Komui added. "My poor Lenalee! Having a friend like you… she's been corrupted by you! At least she didn't fall in love with you… not that Lavi is much better, but at least he doesn't curse so much."

"Is that all you want to tell me?"

"No, no. Sit down. I'm not done."

"What other shit do you have to say?"

"You're so crude," Komui said, rolling his eyes. "Tiedoll's worried, you know. What's happening to you?"

"I need a break."

"I've never heard that from you before!"

"What, I can't take a damned break? Are you idiots all trying to micro-manage my time?"

"No –"

"So shut the hell up. If I feel like taking a break, then I take a break. No questions asked."

"Kanda –"

"I don't care what Tiedoll told you to say."

"Well, you didn't answer his calls…"

"I don't want to talk to the old man. He nags so much even a woman would be ashamed."

"That's not the way to speak about your father," Komui said, twiddling his thumbs.

"Well, yeah, do I look like I give a damn? You're wasting my time, Komui."

"You're not very busy, are you? I thought it would be good to tell you that you actually do have friends despite your unpleasant personality, so don't neglect them even as you struggle to ease your heartache."

Kanda shot Komui an incredulous stare. Komui stared back, wondering if maybe Kanda hadn't understood what he was saying. Well, he always did think that Kanda was a little slow on the uptake…

"Are you stupid?" Kanda demanded. "You're just sprouting some generic friends-and-support crap. Go away."

"Now, now, my dear boy –"

"I'm not your dear boy!" Kanda said, his glare becoming fiercer. "If you're going to talk about such things, then I'll leave now."

"We really do care for you –"

"Moyashi used to say all these. You know where that got her? Into trouble. So damn all that nice-ass shit, okay?"

"You –"

"I'm going," Kanda said, a sour note in his tone.

Komui could only watch helplessly as Kanda turned on his feet and stalked off in high dudgeon.

:::

"Since when did you start to take sleeping pills?"

Allen glanced over at Tyki, her eyes slightly glazed over. "Since I couldn't fall asleep."

"Why can't you fall asleep?"

"I don't know," she said. But she did know – the nightmares had returned.

Night after night, Allen woke, screams tangled in her throat, the taste of something bitter lingering long against her tongue, nausea, fear and remorse slowly strangling her with webbed fingers. Days went by, and in the end, she resorted to consuming sleeping pills so that she would not wake at night.

"You're eating too many," Tyki said, still keeping his light and conversational tone.

"And you know because?"

"Because he takes them too," Rhode said, licking her lollipop. "Didn't you know?"

"You do?" Allen asked.

"Yeah," Tyki said. "I can't sleep. Not much, anyway."

"You never mentioned it."

"It wasn't important," Tyki said, shrugging slightly. He pulled his cigarette pack out and looked at it longingly, stroking the cover with his thumbs.

"Your nails are dirty, Tyki," Rhode said, shivering slightly. "You need a manicure."

"I do not need a manicure," Tyki said. He ran a hand through his messy locks. "I have manly hands and manly nails."

"You wish."

Tyki grinned, then placed the box of cigarettes back into his right pocket. "Well, Allen? Care to elaborate?"

"About?"

"Don't act dumb," Rhode said. "You know what he's referring to."

"I'm talking about your consumption of sleeping pills, of course," Tyki said. His golden eyes locked onto Allen's own.

"I told you I can't sleep."

"The thing is, why can't you sleep?" Tyki asked.

"I just can't."

"Someone's getting peevish, someone's getting peevish!" Rhode sang, beating her lollipop in time to her ditty.

"I'm not," Allen said.

"You are," Tyki said. "You really are getting a little touchy nowadays. You weren't like that before…"

Allen shrugged and crossed her legs. "Isn't lunch break almost over? Shouldn't we head back?"

"Why get so uptight?"

"Tyki's like that," Rhode said. "He isn't in the office half the day."

"I'm usually out fishing for business!"

"No," Rhode said. "You aren't. You're usually out gallivanting."

"You actually know such a big word?" Tyki asked. "That's surprising. Did Sheryl drill it into you? Or was it Tricia who did it?"

"It's the truth," Rhode said. "And stop insulting me, _Uncle_ Tyki."

Allen stood up, brushing crumbs off her tight pencil skirt. The hem of the skirt skimmed her knees, hugging her hips and waist at the top. "I'm going back."

"So soon?" Tyki asked.

"I told you lunch is almost over…"

"He's lazy," Rhode said. "Don't worry about it."

"I'm not," Allen said. "I should head back to set a good example for my subordinates."

"See?" Rhode said, looking at Tyki. "You heard that?"

"Damn you," Tyki said. His fingers retreated into his pocket again, and Allen could swear she saw the bulge of his cigarette pack against the fabric of his pants.

"Damn you too," Rhode said. "And anyway, if Allen wants to take pills… I think that's her call."

"Fine by me," Tyki said. He made no move to rise. "If anything happens… like, if Allen dies of a drug overdose or if she becomes an addict, well then, I'll just say 'I told you so', hmm?"

Allen gave an empty chuckle and raised her hand in farewell. "I'll go first."

Rhode waited for the door to close before she turned to Tyki. "She has nightmares, you know."

"What?" Tyki seemed unperturbed by the news.

"I said she has nightmares, Tyki. Do you understand?"

"I know," Tyki said. "I hear her some nights…"

"Don't you take pills every night? How can you have heard her?"

"I don't take them sometimes. Then I can't sleep and therefore I can hear Allen's moans."

"You sleep five doors away."

"Yeah, I do. Is there a problem?"

"How can you hear her from five doors away?" Rhode asked. She twirled the lollipop stick with her slim fingers.

"I just can," Tyki said. "Anyway our corridor's empty except for her and me, so maybe the moans echo more in empty spaces."

"And you don't sound concerned."

"Rhode, child, do you think Allen would be pleased if we poked our beautiful noses into her affairs so overtly?"

"What?"

"I'm saying, Allen needs her own space."

"She's had enough space –"

"You don't understand!" Tyki pushed his chair back, the legs scraping hard on the floor. He stood up, fists clenched and eyes blazing.

Rhode looked up, bemused, confusion etched into her face. Tyki walked away toward the window; for a while, Rhode just stared at her uncle's back profile in consternation and silence.

"I'm sorry," Tyki finally said. "I shouldn't have been… I shouldn't have used that tone."

"What did you mean, Tyki?"

"Look, I'm sorry –"

"I didn't mean that," Rhode said. "I know you're a crude man. But what exactly did you mean?"

"What?"

"Do you feel the same way as Allen?"

"Ever the astute one," Tyki said. He turned such that his side profile was now visible. Rhode could see the way his curly tendrils of his hair frame his dark face. "What do you think?"

"I think so."

"You're right, more or less. Sometimes I feel like being part of the Noah family is one of the biggest obstacles to me finding happiness…"

"Tyki…"

"At other times, though, I feel an overwhelming sense of loyalty and love to the family." Tyki's fingers danced on the window sill in a jagged, random pattern. "Bipolar, huh?"

"You never did tell me all these before."

"I haven't told anyone."

"Not even Lulu Bell?"

"Why would I tell her?" Tyki asked. Rhode could see an empty smirk creeping onto his face. "She's a heartless bitch."

"You're not serious."

"I am, Rhode-child. I am."

"But you like her!"

"I am physically attracted to her," Tyki agreed. "But I'm not in love with her."

Rhode leaned in, her breath tinged with the faintly repulsive scent of candy chewed and swallowed. "I never knew that."

"Of course you didn't," Tyki said.

"So you're suggesting we let Allen be?"

"You think?"

"But I still think we should help her curb her addiction or something."

"Leave her be," Tyki said. "Mind if I smoke?"

"I do mind, but fine. Smoke all you want."

"Great," Tyki said, lighting a cigarette. His lips clamped down tight around the cylindrical body, ash falling to his feet. "You know, Rhode, life doesn't always work out the way you want it to. Life throws shit at you. You have to learn to clean the shit. Or throw it back. Or throw it at someone else."

Rhode stared at her uncle.

"That's the way life works," he concluded, waving his cigarette in the air, patterns of smoke forming around his head.

"It smells disgusting, Tyki," Rhode said. "I don't know how you can stand it."

"You'll learn, dear." Tyki nodded at her, his curls shaking slightly. "So just leave Allen alone. She'll come to her senses soon enough. When she falls out of love with Kanda Yu, that is."

"She's still in love with him?"

"Can't you tell?"

"I thought she wasn't anymore. I asked her about it a month ago and she said she'd never been in love with him."

"That was –"

"Yes, I know that was obviously denial, but… it seemed true enough."

"You need to see things more clearly, Rhode."

"But –"

"I'm tired," Tyki said, yawning. He threw his cigarette in the direction of the ashtray. "I'm going to nap. See you later. And stop bothering Allen, yeah? She doesn't need another reason to pop more of those pills. They're dangerous, believe me."

He drew a little bottle of pills from his pocket and shook it in Rhode's direction, before keeping it and laughing all the way out.

* * *

A/N: This chapter is so filler-ish! Please forgive me. I really have no idea how to transit from here to where I want the fic to go. Besides, school has started for me, and it's hard adjusting to a new course. All excuses, really.

Updates will be slow from now on (maybe once a month?) but I promise I won't leave this hanging.

Thanks for reading, and reviews/comments/suggestions/criticism would be appreciated (:


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own DGM.

* * *

**Chapter 19**

* * *

"Brother talked to Kanda today," Lenalee said. She sighed and gently rocked the baby sleeping in her arms.

"What did Kanda say?" Miranda asked.

"He didn't say much, as usual. Just swore a lot and stomped off."

"That's normal for him," Miranda said, polishing one of the clocks in her store with a slip of cloth.

"Yes, but I'm still worried. It's like he's been going on a downward trajectory ever since Allen left."

"He must be upset," Miranda agreed.

"More than upset," Hevlaska said, looking up. Her reading glasses swayed against her bosom, the chain holding them together dangling freely as she shifted her position on the sofa.

"Of course," Lenalee said. "Of course."

"He needs help," Hevlaska said. "That is obvious."

"We don't know how to help him," Lenalee said.

Miranda nodded. "Marie's worried about him as well…"

"I just hope he doesn't run into Allen someday," Hevlaska said.

"Why not?" Lenalee asked. "Wouldn't it do him good to see her?"

"No."

Lenalee and Miranda cast puzzled glances at Hevlaska. The woman shook her head, the wings of her beautifully layered silver hair curling against her cheeks.

"Don't you understand?"

"No," Lenalee said. "Since he misses her… wouldn't it be good for him to see her? To clarify matters?"

"You don't understand," Hevlaska said. She laid aside her knitting and her pack of tarot cards. "Don't you remember what Kanda was like as a child?"

"He didn't like saying sorry," Lenalee said, frowning. She tapped her foot on the ground. "He didn't like to talk."

"So he won't apologise to Allen?" Miranda asked.

"He won't."

"But, Hev," Lenalee said, "he likes her. He might make an exception just once."

"Do you think he will, Lenalee?"

Lenalee looked at her baby. "No," she said, her voice soft. "Probably not. He has too much pride."

The room grew quiet after that; Lenalee continued to rock the child and Miranda gazed emptily into space. Hevlaska drew the pack of tarot cards out on the table before her, spreading the individual pieces across the red-and-white tablecloth, the pieces seemingly part of a bizarre play.

"The cards say they'll meet someday soon, though."

"What?"

Hevlaska glanced toward Lenalee. "The cards tell me that Kanda and Allen will meet soon."

Lenalee looked doubtfully at Miranda. "Do you suppose that it'll come true?"

"Who knows?" Hevlaska murmured. Her eyes were dark. "The cards sometimes lie."

She swept the cards up again, shuffling them with her nimble fingers, the pale-red of her nails a stark contrast to the monochromatic cards. "We can only hope for the best."

:::

"Do you want to eat out today, Allen?"

"Mmm?"

"I said, do you want to eat out?"

"Rhode?" Allen said. "Why are you here?"

"Have you been listening to me at all, Allen? I've been talking to you for the past few seconds."

"Uh…"

"I guess not." Rhode licked the blue lollipop in her right hand, a devilish spark in her eyes. "Thinking of Kanda Yu again? You know it's forbidden right?"

"I haven't' – Rhode!"

Rhode chuckled darkly. "Gotcha!"

"Why are you here again?"

"Are you that busy?" Rhode asked, walking around the desk so she could peer over Allen's shoulder. "What's this?"

"You tell me."

"Complicated and boring work," Rhode said. She shrugged and returned her attention to the lollipop.

"I have to agree."

"So you up for dinner?"

"Aren't we going back to the mansion for dinner?"

"Nah."

"Why?" Allen looked up, slight interest reflected in her tired grey eyes. "Don't the Noahs always eat together as a rule?"

"Yeah, but we have autonomy too, you know."

"Oh…"

"Tyki and I are going out to some new café we saw down the street. Well it's not exactly down the street, more of three streets away but Tyki drove today so we don't have to walk."

"What café?"

"No idea. This is all Tyki's idea. He thinks we should go out and celebrate."

"Celebrate what?"

"I forgot to ask him," Rhode said. "Knowing him, though, it's likely to be something stupid."

"I cannot agree more."

"So you're coming with us?"

"Is Tyki giving us a treat?"

"He might," Rhode said. "Actually that's a really good idea so he probably will."

"Okay then."

"You're coming?" Rhode said, leaning against the wall. She narrowed her eyes. "Yes! You'd better not forget. Tyki owes me a tenner now."

"A tenner?"

"I've no idea what it means," Rhode said, "but I heard someone using the word and I like the way it sounds. Don't judge me."

"I wasn't going to –"

"Anyway let's go now!"

"But it's only five now. We can't leave yet!"

"Of course we can," Rhode said. "What's the point of being a boss if you can't leave when you feel like it?"

"You have to be responsible…"

"Allen, stop being such a spoilsport! Come on, now."

Allen shook her head.

"Come, now." Rhode pulled on Allen's shoulders. "I guarantee it will be a surprising night."

"Why surprising?" Allen asked, reluctantly switching her desktop computer off.

Rhode merely grinned before pirouetting out of the office. With a sigh, Allen swept her documents back into the "IN" tray and grabbed her black tote. The explanations would come later, and she would just have to wait for them.

At the same time, though, slight apprehension tingled through her. It didn't seem like her intuition liked the surprise, whatever it was, much.

:::

"Kanda, go out."

"No."

"Kanda, please."

"No."

"Kanda…"

"Stop bothering me!"

Marie shook his head. "Come on, it won't hurt you to come have dinner with Miranda and me."

"I don't want to go."

"What are you going to do then? Stay at home and mope the whole night?"

"I don't mope. Moping is for weaklings."

"Stop lying, Kanda. We all know how you've gone to pieces since… since that day."

"Che," Kanda said, colour rising in his cheeks. It was an angry red, the colour of the setting, tired sun right before the evening brought a night storm.

"It would make Tiedoll happier to know that you've had at least one good meal this week. Don't worry Tiedoll; he's an old man."

"Go away."

"If you don't eat with us today, Tiedoll will send Daisya down to check on you one day."

"Let him."

"You know how Daisya is like…"

Kanda paused in his half-hearted perusal of the newspapers. With a narrowing of his eyes he tossed the papers to one side. "Tell Daisya not to come."

"I will if you have dinner with us today."

"Fine," Kanda said, scowling. He hated how Marie knew how to push the right buttons – matters involving Kanda always worked when Marie came along where they didn't work for others. At the same time, though, he knew that Marie was to be trusted, and Kanda trusted and respected Marie the most out of all those idiots who called themselves his "family".

"Let's go now, then."

Kanda glowered but pushed himself out of his armchair. He dragged on a light coat and followed Marie out of the door. He had no idea how much this action would soon change the course of his life.

:::

"So how's the food, Allen? Up to your standards? Is it jolly good?"

"Stop it, Tyki. Your accent sounds horrid," Allen said. She dabbed at her lips with a napkin.  
The food's good."

"They need more sweet desserts, though," Rhode said, thumbing through the menu.

"You can't be wanting more?" Tyki asked, running his hands through his curly hair. "Between you and Allen, over a quarter of my salary has disappeared!"

"I need more dessert."

"Rhode," Tyki said, "if you eat any more dessert you'll be fat. You've already eaten an apple pie and two ice creams and a slice of tiramisu. That's enough for one day."

"I want the honey pie," Rhode insisted. She turned her head and waved a waiter over.

"This girl," Tyki said despairingly.

Allen laughed. "Let her eat. Excuse me while I pop out to the washroom, would you?"

Allen left her seat, her kitten heels clicking softly on the parquet floor. She found the washroom quickly – it was a quaint little place – and then decided that she didn't quite want to return to the café yet. There was a little garden just beyond the café, in the hidden atrium of the building the café was located in.

The garden sat there, an oasis of green in the desert of concrete and glass. Allen walked over. It was a pleasant place; there was the light scent of spring, and little budding flowers hung amid the green of leaves and the dirty-green of stems. The last remnants of the sunset washed in through a small window set at the side. Somewhere in the little garden there was a little fountain or spring – she could hear the joyful laughs of the water as it threaded its dainty way through the place.

Allen eased herself onto a stone seat, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. She could be happy here. In this little nook she felt as if time had taken to dozing off, and troubles that hung heavy in her mind now seemed lighter.

She sat there for some five minutes, allowing the last red-purple waves to wash over her, allowing the clear light-hearted song of the spring to fill her ears and clear her mind.

Then something shifted; the aura of the place changed.

Allen opened her eyes.

A shadow shifted close to her; someone had come over, someone had broken the spell; someone had conquered the little sanctuary.

Allen turned her head.

In that instant, she knew why the misgivings had arisen earlier that evening that almost influenced her to head back to the mansion.

Close to her stood a man, half-hidden by the foliage. They were scarcely more than a metre apart, and she could see his long dark hair falling gently, rippling slightly about his broad shoulders. The profile of his face was as strong as ever, and Allen's heart skipped many beats. What should she do? Should she creep away now? Should she turn her head and hide- but the white hair would make her too obvious – darn it all but why didn't she think to dye her hair?

Then he turned his head, and Allen saw shock and recognition flash in his eyes.

For a few seconds, neither of them moved.

Then Allen broke the silence. She schooled her expression into one of neutrality.

"Good evening," she said, glad that her voice hadn't come out all that squeaky.

Kanda narrowed his eyes, and Allen thought she saw anger and hurt in his face.

He said nothing for a few seconds, then turned. For a spilt second, Allen imagined that Kanda had walked off because he was angry with her and never wanted to see her again. He appeared right before her at the next instant, though.

"You," he said.

"Hi," Allen replied. She looked down – at her feet, at the concrete pathways and the patches of grass – anywhere that was not his face. "Did you come here for dinner?"

There was no answer for a while. Eventually Allen shot a quick look up, only to find Kanda's empty eyes boring down at her.

He frowned, then nodded. "Marie and Miranda wanted to try the Korean restaurant here."

"I heard the food here is good," she said, nodding, feeling dumber by the minute. What was she trying to do? She wasn't supposed to communicate with Kanda or any of her old friends, so why didn't she just make an excuse and leave?

The thing was, Allen thought, she couldn't bring herself to leave.

"Fancy meeting you here," she said, trying to affect a flippant manner.

Kanda's eyes clearly said "why are you behaving like that and why did you leave?" but he said nothing aloud.

"I must be going," Allen said, unease coursing through her. Confusion reigned in her head as she stood up, brushing down her pale green maxi skirt.

"Wait," Kanda said, reaching out to grab her wrist. "Wait."

They stood like that for a minute, Kanda's hair blowing gently in the air-conditioned atrium, his face shrouded in shadows, one arm stretched out, his fingers clasped tightly around her wrist. Allen could not see his face or his expression. She was highly aware, though, that the dying sunlight illuminated her face, bringing out the shadows under her eyes that even concealer could not hide. Kanda could probably see every imperfect thing on her face – and he could see her eyes and the emotions that could be easily read in them.

"What it is?" Allen finally said.

Kanda relaxed his grip on her wrist. "Why did you –"

"No," Allen said.

Kanda seemed to glower in the evening darkness, though to be honest Allen could not really tell.

"Tell me the truth," he said. In the quiet of the atrium, he seemed half to be hissing at her.

"Kanda, _please_." Allen looked up at him. "Let go. Please."

"I won't," he said. "You tell me why you left."

"I can't. I'm sorry."

Kanda looked at Allen again, and this time Allen could see the pain reflected in them. They were caught in a gilded cage, the two of them, frustrated by obstacles uncountable and debts waiting to be repaid.

"Just get it out already!"

"You're as impatient as ever," Allen said. She shifted her weight from her left to right foot. "I really must go."

"You're not going anywhere till you tell me what I want to hear."

"Which is?"

"Your reason for leaving."

"You know I can't."

"You can," Kanda said, "and you will."

"I won't and I can't," Allen said, trying to pry Kanda's fingers off her wrist. "And it hurts."

Kanda further loosened his hold on her wrist; now his fingers formed a loose circle about her hand. "Tell me."

"No –"

"Do you have any freaking idea what you did?" Kanda asked, his voice louder now. "Do you have any idea at all?"

"Kanda, shush please –"

"Don't you tell me to shush," Kanda said. He released her wrist and glowered at her, his fingers now tapping against his belt, a sure sign of agitation.

"_Please_," Allen said.

"You can't just sneak off in the middle of the night and leave everyone alone. Is that why you make friends? To abandon them at the end?"

"Stop throwing a hissy fit, Kanda."

"I'm not freaking throwing a hissy fit, woman!" Kanda took a step closer to Allen. "I have the right to know why you decided to wreck havoc in my life. We have the right to know why you decided to bring so much trouble into all our lives!"

"I'm sorry –"

"Sorry doesn't mean a thing!" Kanda said. The shadows hung heavily over him. "I don't give a damn for apologies. I just want to know why."

"Believe me," Allen said, stretching her arms out before her in a gesture of peace, "if I could tell you, I would."

"You can tell me, and you will."

"I can't," Allen said. She took a step back; the leaves of a plant poked into the crook of her arms. "I'm really very sorry, Kanda."

"You –"

"I'm sorry," she repeated, before turning swiftly on her heels.

Allen forced herself to continue walking even though her eyes prickled with hot tears and her ankles felt all swollen from walking that fast in the heels. She had to get away from Kanda, pronto, because if she remained near him any longer she was certain that she would give way and reveal the truth.

She truly hadn't expected to see Kanda at all. Seeing him, it seemed, brought back too many emotions all coiled together in one big tsunami wave of feelings.

She didn't want to – but where was she anyway?

Allen paused to catch her breath and scan the surroundings. It seemed like she was still in the building because she could feel the cool wind hit her skin, though there was no air-conditioning vent in sight.

She was in a strange corridor, and all the shops that lined the corridor were closed and gated. She thought maybe she should trace her footsteps – except she hadn't noticed how she even got there in the first place…

"Moyashi."

Kanda had followed her all the way here?

Allen turned.

"I want to know why. I want the truth." Kanda's voice was soft; gentle even, a far cry from his usual stoic baritone and the anger-filled tirade of a few minutes before.

"I can't tell you. You know that."

"Why can't you tell me?"

"It's for your safety, alright? I'm not supposed to meet or talk to any one of you!"

"Damned Noahs!"

"They're my family."

Kanda stared, his eyes almost bulging from their sockets.

"You got that right. You're not imagining things. My Uncle Neah… he was part of the Noah organization. Some of my best friends are Noahs. And you – you, Lavi, Lenalee… you're my friends and I wish to protect you. That's all I can say, Kanda."

Allen walked toward the entrance of the corridor. "I'm sorry," she said, and walked off.

:::

Somehow or other she managed to find her way back to the restaurant.

"You were gone for so long that Tyki thought maybe you fainted in the washroom," Rhode said, dabbing at her lips. "The honey pie's really good!"

"Yeah," Tyki said. "Where did you go?"

"Nothing happened."

"Don't lie, Allen. Your eyeliner's smudged. You obviously cried or teared."

"It's nothing."

Rhode shrugged. "Your call. We can't comfort you if you don't tell us."

"Dessert always comforts me."

"Me too," Tyki said. "I just love dessert, don't you think? The way ice cream or pie just melts in your mouth."

"Is that why you always grab a tub of ice cream every time Lulu bitches about you?" Rhode asked, grinning.

"I do no such thing, amiga."

"I've seen you at it," Rhode said, somewhat gleefully.

"So, Rhode-child," Tyki said, cupping his cheeks with gloved palms, "did someone reject your request for a date? Is that why you made me buy you a pie?"

"Duh, no, _Uncle_ Tyki."

"You guys," Allen said. "Grow up."

"You started it," the two chimed.

Allen laughed. "Bad eyeliner, this. I tried to tidy it up in the toilet but it kind of smudged. Accidents do happen."

"Yup, accidents happen."

"Shut it, Tyki," Allen said, rolling her eyes. "The waitress is staring at us. Think she wants us to pay now?"

"Yeah, time to go."

:::

"You saw Kanda Yu, didn't you?"

"Pardon?" Allen stopped along the landing.

Tyki turned to face her. "I know you were crying, Allen. No one smudges eyeliner that way, not even the most incompetent girl. Not even when an unforeseen accident happens."

"Player."

Tyki shrugged. "Gonna tell me the truth?"

"Do I have to?"

"Do you think you have a choice?"

"No?"

"Then come on in," Tyki said, beckoning for Allen to follow him into his room.

"Your room is large," Allen said, blinking as the lights came on.

"Slightly larger than yours, yes."

'Why do you even want to talk to me about this?"

"We've been friends for so long, and we're practically family now. Of course I'm worried about you, can't you see that?"

"I…" Allen sank into one of the comfortable armchairs near the hearth.

"Made in Italy," Tyki said, getting himself a glass of liquor. "Soft as hell."

"Yes I see the quality."

"So, shoot." Tyki took the armchair opposite hers, crossing his legs and swirling his wine.

"I met Kanda."

"How?"

"I went for a walk… needed some space. Then he was there, in the building. He tried to ask why I left."

"Did you tell him?"

"No. I can't, remember?"

"The agreement with the Earl," Tyki said, nodding. "That's right."

"That's all," Allen said, her voice a little flat.

"But you wanted to tell him."

Allen looked up and Tyki sighed. 'That was a rhetorical statement, amiga."

"Why are you acting all Portuguese suddenly?"

'I am Portuguese."

"You don't usually use words –"

"– like amiga? Why would i? In the Noah family I am just one of many powerful individuals, people who possess the ability to shape lives. We know power, we know greed. But when I'm alone… I think back to the past and wonder. That's where the amiga comes from."

"All our pasts, huh."

"That's right, Allen. We all – we all have our own fears, our own dark skeletons hanging somewhere. We've all locked some fear or hope or desire away."

"We're warped."

"That was why your uncle left, you know." Tyki took a sip. "Neah left because he disliked the complexity, the hypocrisy, and the levels of self that one has to build. We Noahs, like you said, are way too warped."

"You –"

"You ever wonder why I joined the Noahs? Or why your uncle defected? Why Neah died?"

"Uh –"

"Or have you ever thought about what we actually do?"

"Well – the Noahs just run a conglomerate right?"

"No," Tyki said. "We broker power."

"What?"

"We deal in power."

"Power, as in electricity and solar energy?"

"Ha," Tyki scoffed. "If that was the power we deal with, then where would the complexity lie?"

"Do tell."

"We are one of the richest families on earth."

"I heard about that part…"

"Don't interrupt me, amiga. Like I said, we are one of the richest families on earth, and our reach is long. We hold power both legal and illegal."

"How?"

"Rhode alone holds much sway. Her dream business has the power to do things never done before. Sort of like, you know, the things done in the movie Inception. You've seen it, haven't you? A very good movie. Right, so governments are afraid that she might sell that technology to other states and … they're just afraid. The underworld also thinks she might sell it to them, and they listen to her to show how much they are willing to do what she wants them to in order to get their hands on the technology."

"Wow…"

"So we broker power. We shift the balance of probabilities, we make the impossible happen. All it takes is a phone call from us to damn someone, or to save that someone."

"How does this… how does this relate to the current situation?"

"The Earl must have told you that he wants you to take charge of our programming stuff."

Allen affirmed this.

"It's not that simple," Tyki said. "Even Neah couldn't take the stress in the end, so the Earl had to get him assassinated."

"But – I thought Neah left on his own accord."

"He did, but the Earl was worried about confidentiality and secrecy, so he hired a killer."

Allen stared blankly at Tyki; it was hard to imagine the cheery, rotund man ordering the death of another in cold blood, especially when that person was her uncle no less.

"You now know of our bloodthirsty history. Our clan will do anything to stay in power. The Earl allows no failure."

Allen looked away.

"The pressure on you will be high," Tyki said. "Thinking about Kanda… will pressurize you further. I don't want to see you end up like Neah."

"I'll try not to," Allen said.

"I don't want you to end up like me, actually. This isn't life."

"What's wrong with your life?"

"Can't you tell, Allen? I'm addicted to tobacco and alcohol. Not really addicted – but sort-of-almost. I didn't drink or smoke till I came here."

"What did you – " Allen paused. An unexpressed understanding had always existed between Tyki and Allen: Allen would not pry into Tyki's past and Tyki would not lecture Allen too much about things he thought she should not do.

"What did I do before I joined the Noahs?" Tyki's laugh was painfully nonchalant. "I can't quite remember, actually, amiga."

"Again the amiga…"

"Sorry, dear. Schizophrenia."

"Don't joke about such things, Tyki."

"My bad."

"It's okay."

"I recall I used to have a family in the past." Tyki's glance was fixed on his left foot, and Allen could barely make out the quivering of his lower lip. "Then one day they left."

'Left to where?"

"Where? I have no idea. Hell, maybe, or heaven. I don't know."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Tyki."

"It's alright, amiga. Everyone has to die someday. So I was left with my abuelita… my grandmother, I mean. She looked after me, but we were poor. Then when I was sixteen I went to work at the nearby mine."

"Oh…"

"That's where I met – never mind that. Anyway I was happy there, although we were poor. Then I met the Earl and he somehow convinced me to go with him. And I got rich and powerful. I acquired a taste for elegant things, for consumerism. Sometimes I don't know who I am. Every night I think of the old lady I left behind in my hometown, surrounded by the nice things I sent to her. She died alone in the end. I couldn't get back fast enough to see her before she drew her last breath."

"Tyki…"

"It's alright," Tyki said. "Do not pity me, Allen. I chose this path – and I will slowly descend into the pits of hell. That is all."

'Do you really think there's no way out?"

"Even a shrink can't help me. I have little purpose in life now. Sometimes I think of the sweet girl I left behind. I tried to find her once. They say she hung herself after I left. Lulu is nothing compared to that sweet child.

"But I cannot leave, Allen. You see, I am snared well and truly. You must learn to hide form the ropes, and you must not let your past block your view. You must see the forest, not the trees."

"I think it's 'don't miss the forest for the trees', actually."

"Yeah, that," Tyki said, waving his hand. "The same thing. Just… don't be like me."

"I – I'll try."

"Good child," Tyki said. "Now hop off to bed."

Allen nodded. 'You'll be alright?"

"I won't kill myself. Now off you go to fantasize about Kanda Yu. Or something. Good night, amiga. May the night be sweet for you."

"You too, Tyki. May sweet dreams come your way."

"I can't dream," he said. "Never again will my sleep be sweet and free from nightmares. But good night."

Allen made to speak, opening her mouth – then thought better of it. She left, her head reeling, leaving Tyki sipping away at his wine.

:::

Kanda paced around his bedroom, hands behind his back. He'd seen Allen – so she was definitely alive and possibly not being physically maltreated. But – but she had not answered his questions.

He frowned and changed direction, now walking counter-clockwise around the room.

He couldn't sleep – he'd tossed and turned for two hours straight. What was he to do in the face of such an event?

"Che," he said. Why should the bizarre behaviour of a foolish, naïve girl puzzle him so much? Why should he feel happy just because he saw her? Why?

He growled to himself and slipped under the duvet again. Snippets of the conversation he had had with Allen rose again to the front of his mind, and Kanda finally let go and lost himself amidst the sea of thoughts.

:::

Allen woke early the next morning. Kanda had taken centre place in her dreams last night, persisting in following her around dream cities and stalking her as she walked down empty lanes. Now the morning had come and she wanted to banish him from her mind; it was too painful to think about him and his empty, pain-filled eyes.

"Your eyebags are bad," Rhode said, passing Allen at work. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Nightmares," Allen said, unwilling to tell Rhode the truth.

"Take some pills," Rhode advised. "Master Millennium has a new project for you."

"What is it?"

"He says to go to his office and he'll brief you there."

"Oh, okay."

"Why so glum today? Do you wanna hear about the space-time continuum theory I came up with? I think it could be helpful when we try to extract and store dreams. It might even come in handy when we study if dreams are messages broadcast backwards by the future us."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Rhode, but it sounds interesting," Allen said.

"I'm an interesting person," Rhode said, grinning. "You'll be stopping here?"

"Yeah," Allen said. "Duty beckons."

She knocked on a door with a plaque nailed to the centre of the grainy wood, on which was printed the words 'Chairman'.

"Enter."

"Earl," Allen said, "Rhode said you wanted to see me."

"Come in, child," the Earl said. "Are you quite all right? I see you did not manage to get much sleep last night."

"The eye bags? Yeah, I sort of have insomnia sometimes."

"Thinking about t the friends from your past?

"Uh…"

"No need to be ashamed of admitting it," the Earl said. "It's normal. These withdrawal symptoms do happen to some people."

"Right."

"Take care of yourself, child. Anyway – I called you here to explain your latest project to you."

"Yes."

"I see you have been making much progress with your programming. You're taking well to it! Just like Neah." The Earl sighed.

"Uh, thanks."

"So I have here your new task – infiltrate these databases and obtain some useful information. You and your team have a week to complete this task."

"Yes, Earl. Could I just ask – what is this for exactly?"

"Now, now, Allen, just do the work and all will be fine. Curiosity killed the cat, my child."

"I – yes, Earl."

"I'm hoping to see some brilliant work from you!"

"Thank you for your faith in me," Allen said. "I'll try to make you proud."

"That's my girl."

Allen left the room with a folder in her hands, mentally delegating the tasks to the various members of her team.

All the while, a dark undercurrent of doubt plagued Allen. She thought and thought, and came to the conclusion that Tyki had been speaking the truth – the Noahs really did broker power and information without much regard for others' interests and happiness. She wondered whose happiness hung in the balance this time; was it a matter of national security for some sad country? Or was it some form of blackmail with respect to a billionaire somewhere? Were they conducting an expose?

Regardless, Allen steeled her heart and mind. She had to do this for her friends; she had to crack iron walls and hammer down gates of adamant, trampling on her values in the process. She had to ensure her friends' safety. The Earl hadn't said it, but Allen knew what he would do if she failed to complete her task.

He would harm her friends.

* * *

A/N: It's been too long since I last updated this. Finals just ended not long ago, and so I decided to finish this asap. This is slightly shorter because I couldn't wait to get it up and please do pardon any errors because the editing was really minimal.

I hope this chapter wasn't too bad! You can expect the next chapter somewhere around x'mas, I should think! To end off – any reviews/criticisms/suggestions would be much appreciated (:


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own DGM.

* * *

**Chapter 20**

* * *

_Allen left the room with a folder in her hands, mentally delegating the tasks to the various members of her team. _

_All the while, a dark undercurrent of doubt plagued Allen. She thought and thought, and came to the conclusion that Tyki had been speaking the truth – the Noahs really did broker power and information without much regard for others' interests and happiness. She wondered whose happiness hung in the balance this time; was it a matter of national security for some sad country? Or was it some form of blackmail with respect to a billionaire somewhere? Were they conducting an expose? _

_Regardless, Allen steeled her heart and mind. She had to do this for her friends; she had to crack iron walls and hammer down gates of adamant, trampling on her values in the process. She had to ensure her friends' safety. The Earl hadn't said it, but Allen knew what he would do if she failed to complete her task. _

_He would harm her friends. _

:::

"Kanda! I know you're in there!" Lavi thumped his fist against the main door. "Open up!"

Kanda looked up from where he sat on the floor, his eyes dark and agitated. Why wouldn't the Usagi just leave him alone? He'd drawn the curtains and pulled down the blinds just so people wouldn't think that he was at home.

Another round of thumping started.

"Open the door, Kanda!" Lavi shouted. "I'm serious. I'll give you a minute before I knock the door down!"

_Stupid, irritating Uasgi_, Kanda thought, pushing himself off the floor. Threatening to break down the door of his friend – wasn't it against the law, anyway? Kanda wondered if he could possibly sue Lavi for harassment.

"Kanda," Lavi said warningly. "Giving you a couple more seconds…"

"I'm coming," Kanda said. 'Don't do any of your damned shit."

Kanda undid the bolt and opened the door, but made no move to allow Lavi into the house. "What do you want?"

Lavi stepped into the hallway, pushing a surprised and irate Kanda aside as he did so. He then shut the door and pulled Kanda along to the sitting room – it was almost as if Lavi was the owner of the house and Kanda but an unwelcome visitor.

"The shit you think you're doing?" Kanda pulled Lavi's fingers off his wrist.

"I'm here to show care and concern for my best-est friend," Lavi said. "And to try and find you again."

"I'm right here. What the hell do you want to find? Don't be ridiculous."

"Don't take my words literally, Kanda," Lavi said. "And I'm being serious."

"Well, yeah, damn this shit, so am I!"

"Look, I spoke to Marie this morning –"

"The hell do I care if you speak to Marie or to any Tom, Dick or Harry?"

"Zip it, Kanda. I'm serious, alright? Listen to me now."

'You idiot –" Kanda fell silent as he caught Lavi's eye.

"Look, Kanda, we all know you miss Allen." Lavi chose to ignore the fleeting pain in Kanda's eyes, choosing instead to plough on. "But you must understand that some things… just cannot last."

"What are you trying to say?" Kanda's tone was steely and harsh, like thunder, like lightning, like wind howling through the tundra.

"Allen's gone. Kanda, you have to accept it!"

"She's not gone."

"Don't be so stubborn – wait, you've seen her?"

Kanda looked away, unwilling to divulge anything to the blathering idiot.

"Yu? Come on, tell me! Eh, Kanda! I demand to know now!"

"What's it to you?" Kanda snapped.

"She's my friend too! And Lenalee's really worried about the two of you…"

"Stop speaking about us like we're your goddamned children!" Kanda paused. "And just shut up."

"Not in the mood for talking, eh, honey?" Lavi nudged Kanda with his elbow, trying to wink (but failing dismally in the process).

"I'm not your shitty honey! Just go and die."

"But we're best friends, right? If I die you'd be upset and Lenalee would be depressed and then Komui would come after you. Nah, you really don't want me to die at your hands."

Kanda resisted the urge to punch Lavi. "Exactly what the hell do you want, you idiot?"

"There, there, see?" Lavi smiled. "Talking nicely always helps."

"The hell?"

"Stop being so vulgar, Yu! Now, you can start telling me about Allen. As her friend, I have the right to know."

"Friend?" Kanda snorted.

Lavi looked up, slightly nonplussed. The snort didn't sound normal. As a matter of fact Kanda did snort quite a bit to express his contempt for them all, but this snort sounded different. It sounded exasperated, desperate almost.

'You okay, Yu?" Lavi asked.

"Friend?" Kanda repeated, a bitter smile crawling across his face. "What the hell makes you think she treats us as friends, Usagi?"

"Well –"

"For all you know she might only have cared for your money! Isn't that why she became a surrogate in the first place?"

"I thought –"

'You thought what, idiot?" Kanda paused, his face livid. 'You thought she actually cared?"

"Kanda –"

"She doesn't give a damn!"

"You know because?"

Kanda seemed to deflate upon hearing that. He moved away from Lavi, his hair a flying blur.

"Did you meet her, Yu?" Lavi approached his friend. "Did you?"

Kanda averted his face.

"Did you?"

After what seemed like hours, Kanda finally faced Lavi again. "Yes."

"When?"

"Three days ago – I – I was at a restaurant with Marie and Miranda –"

"Did you say anything to Allen?" Lavi pressed.

"I – no – yes."

"Yes or no?"

"Yes." Kanda sighed. 'Yes. She refused to answer any of my questions."

"And so you conclude that she never did care for us? What a dolt you are, Kanda."

"It's –"

"You're reading too much into things, Yu. Allen obviously cared for us enough to leave us for our own safety. You remember Link and the Noahs."

"Maybe – I – che."

"You have to learn to face the truth and your own feelings, Yu. I was like that around Lenalee for a time, too. I snapped out of it. If you love Allen, you have to snap out of this."

'I don't love the Moyashi!"

"You sure?" Lavi snickered and moved away from Kanda. "At the rate you're going… denial will land you somewhere unpleasant."

'Usagi!"

"No, I'm serious. It's obvious that you fancy Allen."

"Usagi –"

"Do you know," Lavi said loudly, "that it took me forever to admit that I love Lenalee?"

"Eh?"

"You didn't know, huh."

"That's not possible," Kanda said. 'I was there. I would have known."

"I did moan about girls most of the time," Lavi agreed. "But I kept my interest in Lenalee in my heart for a longer time."

"Yeah," Kanda said, thinking back. 'You didn't moan about her for as long as some of the others."

"I really liked her then. I knew she was the one, but I knew I had to be careful not to scare her away. I was also really afraid. She wasn't anything like the other girls. I was afraid to lose her. I'd rather be her friend than confess to her and risk losing her altogether."

"Oh?"

"I know you can't believe it, Yu, but it's true. I only started moaning about her to you when I was certain she felt something for me."

"So you so have a nice side."

"Pot calling the kettle black."

"And what's your point, Usagi?"

"My point is," Lavi said, stabbing at the air with his finger, "that your reserve in admitting your interest in Allen very obviously shows that you feel something for the girl."

"Che." Kanda looked up at the ceiling. "So what if I do?"

"The next step," Lavi said, "is to admit that you like her."

"Fine," Kanda growled. "So I like her. So what?"

"Ahhh, good! Dang I should have videoed that down," Lavi said, grimacing. "Too bad for me."

"You dare!" Kanda made a menacing gesture, and Lavi shuddered.

"Kidding Kanda, I was just kidding yo, cool down."

"Che."

"Yes, as I was saying… after acknowledging your feelings for the girl, you have to remember not to be too sensitive."

"I'm not sensitive –"

"Yeah, you're the macho guy, huh. That's not what I'm talking about. You have to stop being so defensive."

"I'm not –"

"Case in point," Lavi said, rolling his eye.

"No –"

"Stop interrupting the love guru, _Kanda_!"

Kanda sulked.

"As I was saying, stop being too sensitive and defensive. Or both. Or either."

"You're not making sense," Kanda grumbled.

"Shush, Yu. Girls sometimes say things that they don't really mean. And very often they hurt us without knowing so."

"Moyashi –"

"Didn't I tell you to zip it, Kanda?" Lavi asked, ruffling his hair. "Allen probably didn't mean it personally, whatever it was that she said to you."

"I…"

"You understand now?" Lavi asked. "Lena did that to me before too. When she was angry and worried because I returned home late. She said some hurtful things, but I knew she cared for me because she bothered to get angry. Get what I'm saying?"

Kanda averted his gaze.

"I think you understand," Lavi said. "We all know by now, I'm sure, why Allen left. She left to protect us – Lenalee, me, the baby, our other friends… but most importantly, she left to protect you, Kanda. Imagine how hard it must have been for her."

Kanda remained silent.

"Cat got your tongue?" Lavi asked, his tone light. "Just kidding, bro, but anyway I know Allen really did like you. She probably still feels something for you."

"What's the point?"

"Huh?"

"What's the point now?" Kanda looked up, and Lavi saw that Kanda's eyes were dead and empty like fishes' scales.

"What do you mean?"

"She's gone, hasn't she?"

"Gone?"

"Gone over to the Noahs. She doesn't care about us anymore."

"Kanda, why do you think she remains there and doesn't come out to meet us?" Lavi asked, exasperated. "Do you not catch my drift?"

"Eh?"

"Allen can't come back, Yu. She knows she will put you and all of us in danger if she so much as shows signs of a possible defection. If she leaves, the Noahs will see her actions as a betrayal and punish everyone involved."

"How do you know so much?"

"Lawyers know everything," Lavi said, tapping his nose with aplomb.

"Che." Kanda thought for a while. "You sure?"

"Yes, Yu. It's strange to see you so disconcerted and confused!" Lavi chuckled.

"Shut up, Usagi, or you die."

"No gratitude," Lavi muttered.

"There's still no point," Kanda said after a while. "If she can't come back, then what's the point?"

"Beats me."

"What?"

"Calm down, my friend. If you work hard, you'll get what you desire."

"The shit you're talking about?"

Lavi sensed that all meaningful conversation was now at an end. "Uh, I think I have to go now, Yu. Lenalee's probably mad at me for staying out so long. Bye old friend. Think things over carefully, won't you?"

"What –"

Lavi scampered out without allowing Kanda to finish his sentence.

:::

"Tyki, you do realize I'm busy?"

"Yes," Tyki said, leaning on Allen's overflowing in-tray. 'I do realise, seeing as I'm leaning against this monstrosity you call an in-tray."

"Your sarcasm is not really appreciated, Tyki."

"Hmm, I guessed as much."

Allen looked up from her laptop. "Do you need something?"

"How kind of you to ask."

"I realised you weren't going anywhere so… might as well ask."

"Good observation," Tyki said. "It recently came to my mind that I forgot to tell you about your surprise."

"Surprise? What surprise?"

"You remember that night Rhode and I had you out to dinner?"

"Yes," Allen said, stiffening slightly.

"Yes, we had a surprise to tell you about that night. We sort of forgot about it, though."

"And you just remembered?"

"Yeah," Tyki said sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Allen said, smiling. 'What is it about?"

"You see – Rhode and I realised that you weren't too happy with life here. So we talked to the Earl. He was in a good mood that night and agreed to let you speak to someone from your past. Not Kanda Yu, though. You can't speak to him."

"I – are you serious?"

"As serious as I hope for salvation."

"Tyki, you've never hoped for salvation."

"Oh, that's true. Hmm, but I am serious. I'd stop smoking for a fortnight if you find out it isn't true."

'You shouldn't smoke at all," Allen lectured. "Cigarettes are bad for you. But really?"

"Yes, really."

Allen tapped her fingers on the desk. "I can't believe it…"

"It's true," Tyki said.

"Anyone… anyone but Kanda."

"That's correct."

"Wow." Allen looked up, and Tyki wondered if those were tears he saw in her eyes. "When can I see whoever?"

"Anytime you choose," Tyki said. "But only once a week."

"Once a week?"

"Mmm."

"Wow. Wow. I thought it was a once-off thing!"

"You thought wrong," Tyki said, smiling widely.

"Thanks," Allen said. She stood up and grasped Tyki's hands. "Thank you so, so much."

"No problem, kiddo," Tyki said. "What are friends for?"

Allen responded with the tear-stained smile Tyki had seen so often of late.

:::

"Hey."

Hevlaska looked up in surprise; there were generally few customers at this time of the day. Then she frowned. "What do you want?"

"I want nothing to do with you."

'Then get out! Please."

The girl standing at the doorway laughed, her short skirt ruffling gently. "I wouldn't be here if Allen hadn't asked me to invite you to tea with her."

"Allen?" Hevlaska dropped her knitting.

"Yes, you got that right."

"If you're tricking me, Rhode Kamelot, you'll get it from me!"

"I'm not tricking you," the girl said, shrugging elegantly. "You can either follow me or you can just sit there."

"I…" Hevlaska's eyes darted to the telephone sitting at the end of her counter.

Rhode shook her head, wagging her finger as well. "Allen only asked to see you, by the way. No one else is allowed to know of this meeting till it's over."

"But –"

"It's your choice."

'It's Hobson's choice," the old woman grumbled, but placed her knitting below the counter. "Fine."

Hevlaska walked to the door and prodded Rhode out of the way, making sure to lock the door well – just in case.

"Just follow me," Rhode said, beckoning to the older woman.

Hevlaska followed the girl, not bothering to make small talk, even though she was filled with questions as to why Allen wanted to see her of all people and goodness, was Allen eating okay and was she suffering and –

"We're here," Rhode said. She stood outside a small diner.

Hevlaska looked dubiously at the diner's name; she had never eaten at this diner before because she did not trust the staff. It was well-known that the Earl owned the diner. Nevertheless, Hevlaska nodded and stepped in, shivering slightly as the bell above the door announced her arrival to all and sundry.

"Over here, madame," a server said, welcoming her with a sweeping gesture.

Hevlaska nodded her thanks to the immaculately-dressed young man, before casting a surreptitious glance back out the door. The young Noah-girl had turned and was now making her way back to wherever she was supposed to be. Hevlaska breathed and followed the young server to a table hidden partially by some artistically-constructed walls.

"Hevlaska!"

The older woman almost jumped, but instead smiled widely as she recognised the person sitting in the booth. "Allen!"

Allen motioned for her to sit. "Hello, Hevlaska."

Hevlaska could scarcely believe her eyes. With trembling legs, she slid into the chair opposite Allen's. "How have you been, my dear child?"

"I've been fine." Allen's voice was somewhat clipped.

"Are you sure?" Hevlaska said. Her hands found their way across the table and clasped Allen's thin hands. "You've grown even skinnier. Have you had enough to eat? Have they been starving you? You look so pale, my dear child! Have you not been sleeping?

"No," Allen said. "I mean, no, the Noahs have been treating me well."

"Are you sure?" Hevlaska asked doubtfully, her gaze sweeping over Allen's sunken cheeks and slightly-red eyes. 'I'm not Kanda, you know, my dear girl. You don't have to spare my feelings."

Allen stiffened slightly at Kanda's name. "Please, Hevlaska. Don't mention Kanda…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, child. I forgot. Please pardon this forgetful old woman."

"It's alright," Allen said, smiling slightly. She gently pulled her hands out of Hevlaska's grasp and gestured at a nearby waiter. "Do you want anything?"

"No, no, it's fine."

"It's on the house," Allen said. "You can order anything you like."

"Why?"

"Tyki told them to waive any charges I might incur," Allen said, her smile growing wider.

Hevlaska frowned. "Tyki Mikk?"

"Yes, him. He's a nice guy, Hev. He and Rhode persuaded the Earl to let me talk to you."

"He might have an ulterior motive…"

'I don't think so… we're friends, after all! Now, do you want to get anything?"

"Tea would do."

"Right." Allen turned to the waiter. "Tea for this lady, please. For myself… I'll get an iced lemon tea and two plates of meringues and a plate of waffles and three plates of scones and three servings of those cucumber sandwiches. That's all for now, thank you very much!"

She turned back to Hevlaska. "Just a light snack, if you don't mind."

"Light snack," Hevlaska said, smiling. "I see."

"I haven't changed that much," Allen said.

"Yes, you still eat quite a bit," Hevlaska said. "But you didn't ask to see me because of your eating habits, did you?"

"No," Allen said, but she did not elaborate.

"Well?" Hevlaska prompted after some time.

"I… oh look, the food's here."

Allen beamed at the server as he unloaded all the dishes onto the table. She then proceeded to attack the edibles. It took her some five minutes to polish almost everything off – she stopped when a plate of meringues was the only thing left.

"Now that you've eaten your fill," Hevlaska said, "maybe…"

"Yes…"

"Why did you ask to see me, of all people? Why not Lenalee or Lavi since you're so reluctant to see or talk about Kanda?"

"Why?" Allen repeated. "I don't know. I thought for a very long time about who I should see first. I can't face Kanda, not now."

"Child, you have to forgive and forget. It's part of life."

"It's not about that, Hev," Allen said. "I can't meet him. The Earl said so."

"But –"

"If I meet or talk to Kanda, he will be in danger. That's bloody why."

"Oh."

"Yes, 'oh' is the most appropriate response." Allen glanced at Hevlaska's bemused expression. "That was light sarcasm, Hev."

"I'm too old for this," the older woman sighed.

"No, you're not, my dear friend," Allen said. "You… I felt you could understand my situation and my emotions the most. You're a dear old lady, and you're really understanding. That's why I asked Rhode to bring you here as my first visitor."

"Your first link to the outside world in months, huh. I believe there's a quote about that."

"Is there? I don't remember any such thing…"

"That wasn't my point, Allen, child. I know you've suffered, you poor dear."

"It was bearable. I knew why I was suffering, who I was suffering for. I knew who my suffering would help. And it wasn't really suffering. Okay, maybe it was, but it was emotional pain. The Noahs have taken many steps to help me integrate into the family."

"The family?" Hevlaska asked. "Is that what they are to you now?"

"Maybe… I don't know," Allen said. "It's hard to tell. I love Rhode and Tyki, and Jasdebi are really sweet to me. The rest of the Noahs I'm not so sure about."

"Cross Marian once told me a curious thing about Neah Walker."

"Pardon?"

"Did you know, Allen, that the police suspected foul play in Neah Walker's death?"

"I… Tyki told me that the Earl assassinated Uncle Neah…"

"Did he really?"

"Yes." Allen's eyes were now clouded over, and Hevlaska saw it.

"Now, now, child, such things happen. It is deplorable, but such things do happen. The Earl is not a man to be trusted."

"I know that. But I cannot leave. If I leave, the Noahs may cause trouble for Lavi, Lenalee, or even Kanda."

"Especially Kanda," Hevlaska agreed. "I would like to be able to leave you with valuable advice, Allen, but I am afraid I cannot counsel you. There is no right way out of this."

"I made this mess," Allen said. "I have made my bed, and I must now lie in it."

"I see," Hevlaska said. "I cannot dissuade you. To be honest, I see no good alternative. You… much as I loathe to say this – you must trust in your friends to carry you through this."

"Tyki and Rhode? I trust them."

"I'm glad you do. Finish your meringues, my dear."

"Do you want some?"

"No, it's alright," Hevlaska said. "Am I allowed to tell the others of this meeting?"

Allen considered this. "I would think so."

"Even Kanda?"

"Kanda… I think he won't be too pleased to know that I didn't ask to see him first. I think… I think you can send him my warmest regards."

"That sounds…"

"I know," Allen said, and Hevlaska thought she heard a soft sigh escape Allen's lips. "I know. It sounds so uncaring, but what else can I say to him?"

"Young love is difficult," Hevlaska replied. 'I'm so glad I'm past that stage by now."

"Tell the rest I really miss them, please. I will ask Rhode to bring one of them over here next week. I haven't decided who, though."

"Sure."

Allen walked Hevlaska to the door of the diner. Hevlaska paused at the doorway and clasped Allen to her bosom. "Take care, Allen."

"Good-bye," Allen said.

Allen kept her composure till Hevlaska was gone and the door was closed. Then, to the bemusement of the servers, she collapsed and crouched on the floors, hugging her knees to her chest.

She sobbed for a full hour, until Rhode found her there and took her home.

:::

"You what?"

"Lavi, stop shouting," Lenalee said, glaring at her husband. "You're too noisy."

"Lenalee," Lavi whined.

"Shut it, Usagi."

'Make me."

Kanda sent a glare toward Lavi. "I'll punch you."

"Oh, I'm so scared, so scared, so – ouch! What was that for, Lenalee?" Lavi rubbed gingerly at the sore spot on his arm where Lenalee had hit him.

"That was for being annoying and for refusing to keep quiet," Lenalee said. "Hev, he's silent now. You can talk."

"As I was saying," Hevlaska said, "I met up with Allen today."

'How's that possible?" Lenalee asked. "She has refused to meet anyone here and as far as I know the Noahs are keeping her cloistered up. None of us has had the chance to talk to her yet!"

"Yeah," Lavi said, casting a side-way glance in Kanda's direction. "Most of us haven't had that chance."

"Che."

"Your response, Kanda," Hevlaska said, shaking her head. Her grey curls bobbed along her back. "Don't be such a jerk, my dear boy."

Kanda scowled but did not bother to retort.

"Go on, Hev," Lenalee said.

"She said she's well and not to worry about her. She looked quite unwell, the poor girl, and she knows that the Earl assassinated Neah Walker."

"The Earl assassinated her uncle?"

"Yes, Lavi, that's just what I said."

"Isn't she worried, then?" Lenalee asked.

"I don't think she was. She said that she has Tyki Mikk and Rhode Kamelot to pull her through."

"Che, those Noahs."

"How did she manage to sneak out to see you?" Lenalee asked.

"She didn't. Apparently Mikk and the girl pleaded with the Earl to let Allen see one among us once each week."

"Hmmm," Lavi said. "But why you, Hev? I mean you're our good friend and all, but isn't it likely that she would have asked to see Kanda first? I mean – oops, my bad."

"That reminds me," Hevlaska said, "that Allen asked me to convey her warmest regards to you, Kanda. And she said to tell the rest of you that she misses you. You might want to tell Miranda and Noise that too. And Krory."

"Komui will be pleased to hear this," Lavi said, looking at Lenalee. "Don't you think so, darling?"

"Yes," Lenalee said. "Maybe… maybe you should have a talk with Kanda."

"I had a talk with him just recently," Lavi said, trying to stifle a groan. "It was tough work."

"Maybe you should," Hevlaska said. "He does seem depressed."

"Fine," Lavi said. "Kanda!"

"What do you want."

"What's wrong with your tone today, my good man?" Lavi asked, walking over to his friend. 'Come on, man, let's have a manly heart-to-heart talk out in the garden."

"This is my house. Why can't I stay where I want to stay?"

"Because we're best friends."

Lavi dragged Kanda out with him into the garden. "So, spill. Why so depressed, Yu?"

'Stop calling me that."

"You're so tame it's not even funny. Shows that you're really depressed, ehhh. Come on, you know I'll worry it out of you. So it's better if you just tell me straight out. You'll be less annoyed this way."

"What do you expect me to say, idiot?"

"Awww, come on man, don't be mean. Why are you so grouchy all the time?"

"Che." Kanda glared at the sky.

"Is it about Hev being the first one Allen asked to see?"

There was no response from Kanda.

"Oh, Kanda, you're jealous!"

"I'm not. Don't be a damned idiot."

"Oh, you so are!" Lavi said, grinning widely. "I can tell. You can't fool me, Yu! You're jealous of Hev!"

'I am not jealous of anyone," Kanda retorted. 'Stop imagining things, you idiotic Usagi."

"It's clear as day," Lavi scoffed. 'I'm sure Allen had a reason for not seeing you first."

"She doesn't give a damn about me, alright? I'm… I care… I care about her for nothing. Stop rubbing it in like a sorry bitch."

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," Lavi began, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Shut up."

"Huh?"

'For chrissake, Usagi, I'm not a woman!"

"Okay then. But what does this have to do with anything?"

'Aren't you supposed to be a genius? Figure it out," Kanda said, anger rising in the depths of his eyes.

"I don't get you."

"Shit, don't you get it? I'm not a female damn it; I don't need you to consider my _sensitive_ feelings!"

"Oh, so you're touchy about that, Yu."

"I said to stop calling me that!"

"Okay, okay. Now breathe."

"I'm breathing, idiot."

"I meant breathe as in calm down and breathe, Yu. To be honest, I don't get why you're angry. Allen did remember to send you her warmest regards after all."

"Oh yeah? She did but she might as well not have sent any of her goddamned regards. She obviously doesn't give a damn about me anymore."

"Yu…"

"Maybe she never did give a damn. That's why she found it so easy to leave."

"You're jumping to conclusions, Kanda," Lavi said. "She loves you."

"Like hell she does."

"Do you always need to be so vulgar?" Lavi asked, shaking his head. He ran his hands through his flaming hair and took a few steps back so he could lean on the pillar.

"Shit you."

"That pretty much sums it up," Lavi said, smiling. "Kanda, you do realise that Allen loves you, right?"

"No."

"You're dense, then. She obviously loves you. You can take my word for it. She left so that Link would be… persuaded to drop that suit against you, remember?"

"That was a stupid plan on her part," Kanda protested. "She didn't have to leave."

"I'll wager she didn't want to leave. But she left, because the Noahs promised to protect you from Leverrier and his fool of a nephew if she joined them."

"Why are you talking about stuff we already know, eh?"

"Because you don't appreciate the significance of this fact-pattern," Lavi said, rolling his eye. "She loved you. And she still loves you, which is why she didn't ask to meet you first."

Kanda stared at Lavi.

"Do you comprehend my words?" Lavi asked, sighing. "We both know that the Noahs don't want Allen to see you. Therefore it follows that the Earl might have threatened her with harm befalling you should she ever dare to meet you. Doesn't this explain why Allen didn't ask you to meet her today?"

"Che."

Lavi pressed on. "She cares too much for you, for your safety. Kanda, dense as you are… even you should be able to see that. She even told Hev to pass her warmest regards to you. This proves that she remembers you still."

"There's no point." Kanda's eyes were downcast.

Lavi stared; he was not familiar with this dejected Kanda. Kanda was seldom depressed and anger was the emotion that usually propelled him.

For once at a loss for words, Lavi went over to Kanda and took a seat beside his friend. In silence he laid his arm over his friend's shoulder. For once, Kanda did not baulk at the bodily contact, but instead continued staring at the ground.

They remained in a mournful silence for some minutes.

:::

Allen hit the end of her pen against the grainy surface of her desk. Cross had never told her that Uncle Neah had been assassinated by the Earl. But Cross would have known, unless drink and womanizing had turned his brain into a sieve. That was unlikely though, however much she wanted it to be true; Cross had been as alert as ever the last time she saw him.

So Cross must have known, and he didn't tell her. But why? Was he afraid that she might want, on Mana's behalf, to seek revenge on the Noahs? But Cross would have known that Allen was not that kind of girl. She did not forget matters, but would often choose to forgive those who erred.

She sighed. It was so complicated. She had never really known Uncle Neah, so his death did not sadden her greatly. The idea, though, of the Earl sending someone to certain death was a bloodcurdling one. Could a person really harbour so many evil thoughts under such a genial and jolly countenance?

And – if the Earl was really a murderer, why did Tyki and Rhode still stick by him? Were they not repulsed by the Earl's evil deeds?

The doubts and questions came one after another, bombarding Allen's tired mind.

:::

"You called for me, Master?"

"Come in, Lulu. Close the door behind you, please."

Lulu Bell closed the door behind her, as she had been told to do, and stood before the Earl. She was as usual, dressed in a well-tailored suit, her blazer clinging to her in all the right places, and her pants followed the curve of her thigh, widening at the knees, until they fell flaring about her heels.

"We are near the end." The Earl leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands.

"Is that so? Forgive me, Master, but the last time… you told me we had a long road yet."

"Yes, I did say that," the Earl said. "But little Allen Walker is almost done with her task. And we shall achieve the greatest victory we have seen in recent years."

Lulu Bell raised a slim, well-plucked eyebrow.

The Earl grinned devilishly. "Everything's going according to plan, Lulu. Soon we will do the impossible!"

"What will –"

"Plan G will take place as soon as Allen Walker finishes her task. And then – millions will die. Kaboom! And their puny lives end in the fight for our noble cause." The Earl grinned at Lulu Bell. "I can't wait."

"Me too, Master."

"Lulu, do not tell Tyki or Rhode of this plan. Jasdebi must not know either. The only ones who are to be in on this are Cyril and yourself. Do you follow me?"

"Yes, Master," Lulu said. "But why so?"

"Why, you ask? Do you not see that Tyki and Rhode care very much for Allen? Tyki especially. It would be so easy for him to tell her of our plans once he is drunk. And the girl does not know what her work will culminate in. I am afraid that she will refuse to finish the job should she ever hear of our plans regarding her work."

"I see," Lulu said thoughtfully. "I understand, Master."

"Very good," the Earl said. "I will send for you again when it is time for us to step in."

:::

"You okay, amiga?" Tyki asked.

Allen tapped her foot against the carpet lining the floor in Tyki's room. "Yeah. Just... a little tired, I guess."

She hadn't meant to impose on Tyki, but the man opened his door at the exact moment Allen walked past his room – and then proceeded to (very kindly) invite her in.

"So... how was your meeting?"

"Meeting?" Allen asked, confused.

"Your meeting with your friend."

"Oh, Hevlaska..."

"Yes, her. Rhode told me about what she had to go through to fetch the woman. Told me that I'll be the errand-boy this weekend."

"Was it that tough on Rhode?" Allen asked, trying to smile.

"Was it? I don't know yet," Tyki said flippantly. "Are you alright, though?"

"Just slightly tired and under the weather."

"That's a bad place to be," Tyki said sympathetically. "What's making you so busy? Staying up all night thinking about Kanda Yu?"

"No," Allen said, rolling her eyes. "I have something I need to complete within this week."

"The Earl's a slave-driver," Tyki agreed.

"That's true."

'What's he got you working on now?"

"I'm not too sure," Allen said. "I'm just coming up with ways to break into some database, but he won't let me try it out. He says to just pass him all the likely combinations and he'll settle everything."

"Sounds strange," Tyki said. "But if you're so tired, maybe you should head to bed first."

"I think I will, if you don't mind. Good night!"

Allen left, and Tyki fiddled slightly with the packet of cigarettes in his pocket. The Earl was indeed behaving strangely. What was he up to? Tyki lit his cigarette and blew a couple of smoke rings into the air.

Then he made his decision – he would talk Lulu Bell into spilling some dirt on the morrow.

* * *

A/N: Happy new year, dear readers! It's 2012 and a fresh year lies ahead of us. Let's all try to stop and smell the roses once in a while, hard though that sounds (:

So – I updated late, oops. Been busy lately, but I apologise! I've half done with the next chapter, but tbh school starts next week, and this means that my next update will possibly take place between one or two months from now.

And - yuka - thanks for reviewing! I keep forgetting to thank you here, my bad. Glad you liked the last chapter (: I don't mind you being anonymous (:

Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, and enjoy what remains of the first day of this new year! All comments/reviews/suggestions would be much appreciated (:


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own DGM.

* * *

**Chapter 21**

* * *

_Allen left, and Tyki fiddled slightly with the packet of cigarettes in his pocket. The Earl was indeed behaving strangely. What was he up to? Tyki lit his cigarette and blew a couple of smoke rings into the air. _

_Then he made his decision – he would talk Lulu Bell into spilling some dirt on the morrow. _

:::

The alarm clock blared like an inconsolable child, and Tyki Mikk's ears hurt. The thing needed to be dumped – stat. Tyki groaned and a hand shot out from below the covers, groping wildly about the bedside desk. The long fingers found nothing, though, and with another loud groan Tyki threw the covers away and pushed himself out of bed.

He inched across the carpet, shivering slightly as the morning air tickled his bare thighs. Peering at the clock, which he had stupidly placed at the opposite side of the room, Tyki realised that it was only six in the morning. Six in the morning was not a good time to be awake. Six in the morning was the perfect time for sleep, and at six in the morning only sorry fools would be up.

Tyki put the alarm clock back where it belonged and walked back to his bed, thinking happily of being reunited with the warm quilt and his soft, soft pillows...

He pulled the covers back over him, and it was bliss, almost like the feeling that hit him every time he got a cigarette into his mouth after a long day, or the feeling when he had a glass of fragrant wine in his hands as he relaxed on his softest armchair, or even –

Wait. He had set the alarm clock for a reason. What was the reason, then? He didn't seem to be able to recall this fact too well. He'd met Allen in the corridor yesterday... then what? She had come in, and she had seemed tired. Then... it suddenly hit Tyki. He was supposed to question Lulu Bell on the Earl's real plans.

What a damper, Tyki thought, shrugging away the covers in a swift motion. He wanted to sleep the morning away...

It was seven by the time Tyki was done with his morning routine. Yawning, he opened the door to the corridor and stepped out. The house was still deadly quiet, and Tyki knew for a fact that most of the building's occupants were still asleep. Except dear Lulu Bell, of course, who was an early riser despite her penchant for and (rather disturbing) similarity to those lazy, pesky creatures called cats.

Tyki yawned again; he needed some good, strong coffee to clear his mind before he could sort-of confront his so-called sister. To the kitchen he went first. It wasn't often that he had to brew his own coffee, but since the servants were all busy preparing breakfast, he had no other choice.

Coffee cup in hand, Tyki strolled away from the kitchen. Glancing at his watch, he decided that Lulu Bell would most likely be in the garden behind her room at this time. He would probably be able to catch her before she went in to do her morning exercise. A woman, he thought, should not subject her body to such intensive training, for chrissake. On that note, though, Lulu Bell's training did give her a body most women would die for. He knew it to be true – he had had the opportunity to observe her flawless abdomen and beautiful curves one night some years ago.

Now, he reflected, he didn't really give a damn about Lulu Bell in spite of (or perhaps it was because of) her body. It didn't matter to him – anymore. Once he had worshipped her; once he had loved her –that feeling which his younger self felt for the woman went beyond lust – but now, now she was just another Noah (and one he didn't even particularly like).

And there she was – Tyki stopped in the corridor, standing just beyond the opening that led into the little garden.

Lulu Bell was sitting at the stone table that stood proudly in the centre of the garden, her eyes trained on the sky. She was dressed in a simple black dressing gown, her hair neatly combed and flowing over her shoulders. She was indeed exquisitely beautiful, but Tyki knew that under her winsome face and voluptuous body lay a heart carved of stone and sin, a heart which had cankered with the years.

Tyki again wondered how it was that he could ever have loved her, however fleeting that feeling had been. Sipping at his coffee again, Tyki braced himself for the confrontation. It would have to be subtle, because Lulu Bell was usually a woman who liked subtlety. Therein lay her strength as well as her weakness. If Tyki could just play his cards right, he might be able to worm the Earl's possibly dangerous plans out of her.

Tyki stepped out into the garden, his presence heralded by a whiff of the cologne he was wearing. His leather shoes crunched over the sleeping gravel, and he took another sip of coffee.

Lulu Bell turned around. "Tyki," she said. "Good morning. What brings this you here this early?"

"Nothing much," he said, taking a seat by Lulu Bell. "Just enjoying the morning."

Lulu Bell scoffed at this. "You never do enjoy the morning. You hate waking early, period. Are you up to something?"

"No, sister mine."

"I find that hard to believe," she said, and then moved slightly closer. "You've changed your cologne."

"I got bored of the old one," Tyki said, waving his hand indifferently.

"This one smells utterly different."

"Felt like a change."

"This doesn't smell like you at all. You like flamboyant scents, don't you?" Lulu Bell stared at Tyki, her eyes narrowed. "Are you chasing after some girl who likes these ... these _clean_ scents?"

"It's a _fresh_ scent," Tyki said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for offending your manly dignity by calling you clean."

"It's alright. I'm immune to your barbs, dear sister."

Lulu Bell shrugged, and glanced back up at the sky. Her red fingernails went _taptaptap_ against the stone table, and Tyki saw it.

"Anxious so early in the morning, are we?"

"No," Lulu Bell said shortly. "I mean, no, I'm not. What makes you think so?"

"Nothing," Tyki said, "but do look at your fingers."

"My fingers? Oh, I'm tapping them." Lulu Bell sighed. "I – yeah, I am slightly worried about... work."

"Work?"

"Yes."

"You've never been much worried about work," Tyki said, affecting surprise. "You've always been far too efficient for your own good."

"Have I?" Lulu said, her eyes drifting away.

"The Earl's angry?"

"No, no, nothing like that..."

"Then what is it? There should be no secrets between family members."

"Is that so?" Lulu asked, her eyes dark and empty. 'Why do you keep so many skeletons then, Tyki?"

"I don't –"

"You don't have to lie. I know something of your past and your secrets."

Tyki had nothing to say in reply to this barb. He hung his head and fiddled with his now-empty cup. "Would you mind if I take a smoke?" he asked at last.

"No, no ahead," Lulu said. "Give me one too."

Tyki handed her a cigarette and lit it for her. Then he lit his one, and deliberately sent a ring of smoke toward the sky.

"I used to do that too," Lulu said, as he had known she would. "Before I quit smoking, I mean."

"Why did you quit smoking?"

"It felt wrong, somehow. But now... now I think I'll pick the habit back up again."

"Oh?"

"It de-stresses," she said simply.

Tyki nodded.

"You know, your little friend..."

"Who?"

Lulu Bell sent a pained expression Tyki's way. "Allen Walker. Who else?"

"What about her?"

"I don't see why you and Rhode are so hung up over her. What's so special about her?"

Tyki's eyes gleamed. He saw a subtle inroad into the hopefully indirect confrontation. "Are you jealous, Lulu?"

"Jealous? Me?" Lulu Bell scoffed. She tossed her pretty hair. "I see no reason why I should be jealous of a girl like that."

"True," Tyki said. "In terms of looks you win her hands down. You're hotter. Smarter too, I should think."

"Hmm."

"But at the same time, you're lonelier."

"I beg your pardon?" Lulu Bell's eyes were now frigid.

"You heard what I said. Where Allen is rich in terms of friendships, you are poor... you have no heart where a heart should lie."

"You dare –"

"Am I not right?"

A silence fell over them, and Tyki writhed inside at the awkwardness that stretched between them.

"You're right," Lulu conceded after a while. But her eyes were still cold and filled with something akin to malice. "Maybe."

"And you feel threatened by Allen's presence just because of this?"

"I... I don't know."

"The ever-composed Lulu Bell is made confused by the presence of a girl who she feels is inferior to herself in almost all aspects." Tyki smirked. "How amusing."

"That's not very kind of you, brother," Lulu said.

"Oh, I know that."

"Then – never mind."

"But if you must," Tyki said, "if you really need consolation, sister dear, then look to the Master for comfort. You are efficient beyond belief. The Earl prizes you more than he does me, that's for sure."

"Hmm, that's true," Lulu said. "But still..."

"You can't wait to get rid of Allen, huh. Your self-esteem has taken a beating."

"I never knew Neah..." Lulu said. "But from what the Earl says, Allen Walker is as good as Neah Walker was in his day."

"Good at what?"

Lulu narrowed her eyes. "It's a secret, Tyki. I'm not going to tell you. Just their professional stuff."

"Professional? How can hacking be considered a profession?"

"You know what I mean, Tyki."

"I do. But why harp on it so much?"

"The Earl seems to think Allen Walker so very important. Is she that good at what she does? I find it hard to believe. Yet I trust Master Millennium."

"Dilemmas," Tyki agreed.

"Yes," Lulu said. "On the one hand I want to support my Master in his plans. On the other hand... I find it hard to accommodate someone like Allen Walker."

"She's a nice girl."

Lulu rolled her eyes. "Of course you'll say that – she's your damned friend."

"Hey –"

"No need to get so huffy about it, Tyki."

Tyki shrugged.

"And you know, Tyki, I want Allen Walker to succeed in her task so that Master Millennium's plans will come to fruition. But – but I also want to see her fail. I have this strange desire to crush her like – like a cockroach."

"I would never have imagined you saying this."

Lulu turned her empty, molten eyes toward Tyki, a questioning look spreading over her sharp and haughty features.

"The Lulu Bell I know is not someone who finds other girls threatening. The Lulu Bell I know struts around in a well-tailored power suit. The Lulu Bell I know stands tall and graceful and holds her head high... she never departs from the Earl's will. She is strong and cunning, and she doesn't falter before other mere mortals."

Lulu Bell turned away, and Tyki could see the sharp outlines of Lulu Bell's aristocratic cheekbones highlighted against the blue, blue sky.

"The Earl still trusts you, you know," Tyki said, his voice soft and silky.

"I... I certainly hope so. I wouldn't know what to do if he dismisses me from his service." Lulu Bell's voice quivered towards the end.

Tyki had never seen Lulu that vulnerable before. Her whole spirit seemed crushed, and the haughtiness that had once defined her seemed non-existent now. Tyki felt only pity for her where love and lust once existed.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Why should you be?" Lulu looked up, her eyes flashing. In her eyes Tyki could see her fighting spirit revive. "Are you pitying me, Tyki?"

"No – Lulu –"

"Don't you ever dare pity me," Lulu said, her brows creasing into a straight line. She stood up in a fluid motion. "Your little Allen Walker will drown herself in self-pity and disgust when she's done what the Earl wants her to do. Oh, the little naïve girl doesn't know it yet, but she will help to create a catastrophe!"

With those sombre and dark words, Lulu Bell swept out of the garden, her injured pride still smarting.

Still, she held her head high as she sailed out of the garden.

Tyki rubbed his temples – a headache was on its way – but to be honest he didn't quite care. He had got what he came for, and now it was time to hie himself back to bed and pop a few aspirins along the way.

:::

"Are we about done?"

"Yes, Ms Walker. I would say we're ninety per cent done." Allen's deputy looked at her, smiling, her small, white teeth showing under her red upper lip. "We get things done so much faster after you came, actually."

"Really."

"Yes, that is so. The one who came before you..." the woman said, shaking her head. Her dark curls bobbed against her structured blazer. "He wasn't any good. The Earl sent him away."

"Oh... was he called Neah Walker, by any chance?"

"Neah Walker? Oh, no, no, not at all! Mr Walker was an esteemed member of the Noah clan... it's such a pity that he died so young. But at least you have his skills, Ms Walker. You're the best replacement we have yet, you know."

Allen scrutinised the woman's face. She seemed genuinely upset by Neah's apparently untimely death. There was no trace of any knowledge concerning the Earl's assassination of Neah. Allen sighed – this was another dead end in her seemingly futile attempts to clear the doubt and mystery surrounding Neah's death. None of the people working under the Noahs had any inkling of how Neah's death had come about.

"So – Ms Walker, I'll just leave now? I have to attend my son's graduation ceremony."

"Oh, sure! Congratulations!"

"Thanks," the woman said. She smiled again, and now her smile didn't seem quite so sinister as it did in the past. "I'll just leave the files here, then."

"Go ahead," Allen said, "and thanks."

Her deputy exited, and Allen swirled absentmindedly in her chair, tapping a gold-tipped pen against her chin. Sometimes, she reflected, it was hard to remember that those who worked for the Noahs did not know the Noahs' real faces. These workers were human too; they, like her, were being manipulated by the Earl and his craven family.

She sighed, and reached for the files. This task would soon be completed, and maybe she could then take a good, long rest.

:::

Allen fell asleep in her office around five in the afternoon. At eight there came a knock at her door. Allen jolted awake, self-consciously wiping at the edges of her lips to remove any accidental drool.

"Come in," she said.

In strolled Tyki, looking crisp and handsome in his tuxedo.

"Are you going somewhere?" Allen asked, eyeing her friend's clothes. She wrinkled her nose at his cologne.

"_We_ are going somewhere."

"Pardon?"

"I said we are going somewhere. Come on, wipe your drool and we'll leave."

"I didn't drool!"

"Are you sure?" Tyki asked, smirking. "You just woke, after all. Even I drool once in a while. A mere mortal like you would surely drool more often."

"Can we please stop talking about bodily fluids?"

"Goes against your British sensitivity, eh?"

"I'm not sure I have this sensitivity you mention to begin with..."

"In denial," Tyki said, shaking his head. "Now move, my dear girl."

"Where are we going?" Allen asked. She switched the lights off and locked her office door. "It's not yet time for me to invite a friend over, is it?"

"Nope, it's not that." Tyki led her toward the car-park.

"Where –"

"In you go."

"I – "

"Yes?"

"Finally you deign to answer my questions," Allen said, affecting a mock sigh. "Where exactly –"

"– Now do be quiet, amiga. I can't quite remember how to drive there," Tyki said.

Allen kept quiet – in the darkness of the trees flying by she saw shadows of things long past; she thought of things she had long forgotten or relegated to hidden corners of her mind. Once again her dead baby came a-walking, its little feet going pitter-patter as it ran alongside the car, going miles in her imagination. Narein's face, too, came to mind, his dark eyes and bright smile clear as day in her mind's eye.

Then she seemed to see a couple walking in the shadows dotting the road, the lady's hair long and flowing, and the man's a deep, bitter red. Before them skulked a figure cloaked in the cloak of night, his bearing tall and erect and so very graceful, his hair, dark as night, skimming the branches on the waves of the wind.

_Kanda_, Allen thought, and felt her heart wrench even in her self-concocted fantasy.

The car passed this shadow-figure, and Allen's eyes strained to catch his expression, to look into his eyes and discern the depths of his pain. But Tyki drove too fast, and her eyes passed him by – and then –

"Allen!"

Allen jerked out of her reverie and glanced at Tyki, bemused.

"We're here. Get out, amiga," Tyki said, looking at Allen with glinting eyes.

"Oh, that's fast," Allen said, glancing around as she stepped out of the car. There was no sign of any ghost-baby or shadow-friends.

"You seemed lost in thought," Tyki said. "What about, I wonder."

"You may continue wondering" – and this was accompanied by a wry smile.

"If I may presume to understand your psyche," Tyki said, nodding at the maître who greeted them, "I would venture to say that you were thinking about Kanda Yu."

"You..."

"I am right? I thought so, amiga."

"I..."

"You are surprised? But – of course. You didn't know I knew so much?" Tyki leaned in. "Allen, we all know."

"Pardon?"

But Tyki had moved on, swiftly following the maître (who seemed to know him quite intimately). They passed candlelit tables, shoes stepping onto the soft faces of eastern carpets, and entered a softly-lit room set for two.

"What's this about?" Allen asked.

Tyki gestured for her to sit. "The food here is really good."

"Are you sure your wallet can handle my stomach?"

"Of course," Tyki said, smirking. "I have enough cards here to pay for all you can possibly eat."

"That's great."

"Have a look at the menu. I like their steak."

"Hmm, is it any good?"

"Juicy."

"Alright," Allen said. "I've decided."

They placed their orders, and Tyki chuckled at the waiter's poor attempt at keeping a poker face.

"He probably thinks you're strange or afflicted with some sad disease."

"I know," Allen said, her expression rueful. "I get that a lot."

"I'm used to it."

"So what's the occasion?"

"I just needed a quiet place to talk to you."

"What about? What's so hush-hush that we can't discuss it at home or in the office?"

"Do you know exactly what you're doing for the Earl?"

Allen shot Tyki a blank look. "Excuse me?"

"Do you actually know what will happen after you complete your current task? Do you know what groundwork your task will set?"

"The Earl's going to accomplish a long-held plan of his, isn't he?"

"That's right."

"What about it, then?"

"Are you really that naïve, amiga?" Tyki sighed.

He paused while the waiter brought in their appetisers, and then shot Allen a dark look when the waiter had bowed himself out of the room.

"A catastrophe is waiting to happen."

Allen blinked. 'I don't quite comprehend..."

"I talked to Lulu today... this morning, in fact. Caught her while she was out admiring the sunrise or something."

"What did she say?"

"There's something fishy going on – and I think you should know."

Allen nodded.

"So, Lulu and I had this conversation. It was rather long, so I'll just leave the irrelevant portions out. The important thing to note is that in her jealousy and frustration Lulu let slip something... and I found her behaviour to be rather suspicious."

"Okay."

"Be calm," Tyki said. "Although I suspect it's not easy to stay calm at hearing this. Lulu didn't actually say anything concrete. She just spat fire at me and said that you'd eat yourself up in self-disgust and pity when all is said and done."

"That's vague," Allen said, frowning.

"I guessed that it meant that you had been tricked into doing something that would harm others... so after I took a nap I tackled Cyril."

"Why Cyril?"

"The Earl usually entrusts Cyril and Lulu Bell with the weighty tasks. He trusts Rhode too, but she's too close to you so I ruled her out for this."

"Then..."

"The Earl is using you, amiga."

"No..."

"Yes. He's manipulating you through your friends. Do you know what he intends to do once you complete your work?"

"What?" Allen's voice was soft and her face pale and dotted with beads of sweat.

Tyki leaned across the table, his elbows brushing aside his soup bowl. "He intends to use it to access a government website so that he can annihilate some few million people."

Allen felt her heart clench as she heard those terrible words. Her breath seemed stuck somewhere within her chest – where exactly she didn't know. What she did know was that it was painful to breath. "No... that's not possible..."

"Is it really that hard to believe, Allen?" Tyki asked. He stood up and walked over to her. "Here, lean back and try to breathe. We don't want you dying now, do we? You haven't reunited with Kanda Yu yet, remember."

Allen tried to ease the pressure in her chest. Breathe in, breathe out.

"Better?"

"Yes, much better," Allen said. She turned in her chair to face Tyki. "Were you trying to trick me just now? Is this for real?"

Tyki snorted. "Trick you? What for? Believe me when I say I would never lie about something like this."

"I... I can't really believe it."

'Is it so hard to believe that the Earl would refrain from killing simply because it is morally wrong?"

"The Earl – he's part of your family! I can't – I just can't see him in the role of a ruthless murderer. And he did help me in the past. I can't – I just can't – I can't see him as a killer! He was so kind..."

"He was so kind, you say. The Earl is a great man, I will give him that, and I respect him. But he's heart is black and cold, and he knows how to win people over."

"No, you must be kidding, Tyki. Even if what you say is true, the Earl must know that the law will get him if he dares do something like this."

Oh, he doesn't do the dirty work himself, of course."

"No, I mean it's... it's just not possible to think of him sitting at his desk planning how best to murder millions of people in cold blood."

"He does that pretty often," Tyki said. "Mind if I smoke?"

"No, go ahead," Allen said. She knotted her fingers in her lap.

Tyki placed the end of his cigarette into his mouth, his shoes lightly tapping against the carpeted floor as he paced the room. "He did kill Neah after all."

"But – Neah's one person. It's not the same as killing millions. Or is it?"

"There's no difference, Allen."

"I – no – "

"I've killed before, Allen. I know how it feels. When you've done away with one person it doesn't matter how many more you kill. The number is irrelevant. You get numb."

"Tyki – you..."

"I had to. I don't anymore, though. I badly regret my past..."

"You poor soul," Allen said, trying to smile. "It's good to hear that you're trying to make penance now, though."

"You know, Allen, the Earl killed Neah because he left. Do you know why Neah left?"

"No... I was never acquainted with Uncle Neah."

"Nor I," Tyki said, "but I've heard rumours. People here say that the Earl sent assassins after Neah because Neah knew his secret. Neah knew that the Earl wanted to wipe out millions to further his own agenda, and Neah didn't want to be involved in something so immoral and wrong. He left and died on his own terms."

"He was brave."

"He stood up for his beliefs," Tyki said. "I admire him for this."

"Yes..."

"You're still rather pale," Tyki said. "Shall I call for some whisky?"

"No," Allen said. "Please don't."

"Fine," Tyki said. "But you do understand the implications of this? If you object to completing your tasks, the Earl will surely kill you. He will find some way to torture you."

"I – but I cannot let those people die."

Tyki grimaced as he saw pain flit across Allen's dilated eyes. 'I'm sorry, amiga."

"What should I do, Tyki?"

"I don't know, amiga. I don't know. I just thought it would be good to let you know what you're getting yourself into."

"Yes, thank you, Tyki. But this decision is too... tough."

"I understand your pain, Allen. You have to make a choice, though."

"I – I don't feel so well. Maybe I should head back first."

"I'll drive you back," Tyki said. "Come on."

Tyki helped Allen from her chair, supporting her to the door. He nodded at the maître as they passed through the lobby. "Place the bill on my tab."

"I'm sorry," Allen.

"You shouldn't be," Tyki said. 'This is not your fault in any way."

"I –"

"Rhode and I will always be here for you. We may not be the best or most moral people on earth, but we do know how to draw the line at certain things. Or at least I do."

"Thanks, Tyki."

"And I never thought I'd see the day when you leave a restaurant without eating."

:::

Allen had rather a restless night. She tried to sleep, to banish images of dead, grey people from her mind, but their empty eyes had followed her through the land that lay between wakefulness and sleep, and she dared not tread the path that led to sleep. In her semi-wakefulness she saw again and again that little dead child, and it wrung her heart to think of all the other children who might die if she accomplished her task.

Then Kanda's face swum into her mind, and she felt a pang in her heart – if she did not complete the task, if she left – Kanda would suffer. Was it fair to make him suffer because she wanted to save a million lives? Was it too selfish of her to sacrifice Kanda because she did not want to live the overwhelming guilt for the remainder of her soon-to-be-very-short life?

When the clock finally struck seven in the morning, Allen crawled out of bed, skin pale and eyes red. She took a long and leisurely bath, resolutely pushing all troubling thoughts out of her mind, instead enjoying the feel of soap and warm water on her skin. She lingered in the bath; when she finally came out, she dressed and dabbed concealer all over her skin to hide any blemishes which would give her sleepless night away.

Breakfast came next. Allen betook herself to the ground floor where the dining room was; to Tyki's surprise, she managed to wolf down an enormous breakfast. After breakfast, Tyki caught Allen's arm as she made to walk out the room through the French windows on the far side.

"The café?"

"Pardon?"

"Are you heading to the diner soon?"

"Oh, the diner."

"I need to get ready if you want to go now. Need to change, see?"

"What's wrong with what you're wearing?" Allen asked.

"It's not nic enough for a trip to the mall," Tyki said, smirking. "Unlike you, I take tremendous pride in my appearance."

"You're too vain for a man."

"I second that!" Rhode said from behind.

"Don't do that," Tyki groaned.

"Why not?"

"Don't push it, brat."

"Call me that again and I'll tell my daddy."

"Urgh," Tyki said, hiding his face in his hands. 'Go away, Rhode. I'm not in the mood to play with you."

"I was looking for Allen, actually. You have too high an opinion of yourself, _Uncle_ Tyki."

"Why are you looking for Allen? We're headed to the café now, remember?"

"Oh," Rhode said, wrinkling her nose. "I wanted to go shopping with Allen..."

"Don't pout," Tyki said.

"I'll go shopping with you tomorrow," Allen said, putting an arm around Rhode's slim shoulders. "That okay with you?"

'I can't say no, can I?" Rhode asked, crossing her arms. "I suppose it'll do too."

"Thank you, Rhode," Allen said. 'I'll wait here for you, Tyki. Don't take too long, will you?"

"I won't."

"He will," Rhode, looking at the retreating back of her uncle. "He takes longer to change than an average girl does. I timed him before just to be sure."

"Oh, Rhode," Allen chuckled. "You..."

"I'm just awesome, ain't I?"

"You're a cute girl," Allen said, smiling.

"Who're you gonna see today?"

"I... don't really know. Either Lavi or Komui, I should think."

"Lavi Bookman or Komui Lee? Not Lenalee Lee?"

Allen shrugged.

"I'm back!"

"You're fast today, _Uncle_ Tyki. Your old bones not troubling you?"

"Rhode," Tyki said, leaning over his niece, "you're an annoying brat."

"I'll tell daddy."

"Go ahead."

"Don't fight, you two," Allen said, stepping in.

Tyki laughed and ruffled Rhode's hair. "See you later, squirt."

"I'm not a squirt," Rhode called after them. "I'm a more useful member of society than you, _Uncle_ Tyki."

"And more sadistic," Tyki muttered, leading Allen out the front door.

:::

"So who do you want to see?"

Allen glanced at the ceiling, twiddling her thumbs. "I'm not too sure, actually. Either Lavi or Komui, I think."

"Why them in particular? I don't remember you being that close to Komui Lee..." Tyki said, sniffing at the coffee latte that had just been set before him. "This diner needs to be closed down, pronto!"

"You tell the Earl that."

"I will. He'll have to rebuild this, do something to the deco and most importantly, improve the quality of the food." Tyki shook his head. "It's no wonder this diner isn't making any profits."

Allen laughed. "Aren't you in charge of it?"

"Am I?" Tyki asked. "I can't remember. I'm not interested in running eateries, anyhow."

Allen nodded, poking at the lemon tart that sat on her plate. "It doesn't look all that appetising, that's true."

"You think?" Tyki rolled his eyes. "Let's get back to the topic. Who do you want?"

Allen considered the tart for a few more seconds. 'I think it looks edible enough, actually. And, to answer your question... probably Lavi."

"Bookman, huh. Good choice. You two can talk in riddles and I'll just entertain myself by smoking somewhere over there."

"You don't have to remain here, actually, if you don't want to..."

"I see you want to get rid of me, eh?"

"Well, I –"

"Going to tell Bookman about the Earl's big bad plan?" Tyki cocked an eyebrow at Allen.

"Uh, yes, actually. You saw right through me."

"Uh-uh. You're easy enough to read, most of the time."

"Do you mind if I share it with Lavi?"

"Hmmm."

"I won't actually tell him what might happen. I'll just sya that it's a possibility, that I've a niggling feeling about it. Then I'll ask him to check it out for me, and see if there's any legal recourse."

"You've given this some thought, eh?" Tyki's almost-golden eyes were inscrutable. He tapped a finger against his upper lip, where day-old stubble already grew. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Just, you know, make sure Bookman knows to keep it secret-ish and not to make a huge fuss about it, or we'll all be in trouble. And in danger."

"I understand."

"Alright, so I'll go get Bookman now. Enjoy your lemon tart, if you feel like you can eat it. You can drink my coffee up too, actually."

Tyki left Allen with the food, and made his way to Lavi's office.

"Mr Bookman in?" he asked the receptionist.

The girl pulled her earphones out and looked at him. "Can I help you, sir?"

The girl was pretty, Tyki thought. He smirked at her and leaned over the counter. "Nice dress, this. Plays up the colour of your eyes."

"Trying to flirt with my receptionist, Mikk?"

Tyki looked up; Lavi Bookman stood outside the door of his office, a thick file cradled in his hands. "Why, hello there, amigo."

"I don't really think we're friends, y'know?"

"True enough," Tyki said, smiling widely. "But come now, Bookman, you are required to attend to Allen right now."

"Attend to – oh, for the love of – why me?"

"That was what I was wondering as well."

"Oh..."

"If you would be so kind as to follow me?" Tyki said, nodding at the main door.

"Uh, just a minute, yeah? Need to dump this file somewhere." Lavi disappeared into another room and emerged a while after with his wallet.

"Come on."

"Be back soon," Lavi told the girl. "You can take a break for a while if you like. Panda won't be in today, so no worries."

"Where's your grandfather?" Tyki asked.

Lavi looked at Tyki, and Tyki could feel Lavi's intense gaze. "He's out playing golf with some friends."

"Ahh, the high life."

"Says the one who drives around in a big, expensive car."

"Snarky, aren't we?"

"You're the 'enemy'; I have to keep up appearances, y'know."

"I see. So, if we were not enemies... then you'd totally dig me?"

"Are you trying to hit on me?"

"Not at all," Tyki said complacently. "I prefer them with boobs, if you get what I mean."

"I expected nothing less of you."

"I think we could be friends though, if we were not on opposite sides."

"Then why do you align yourself with the Earl?"

"Why?" Tyki looked mildly surprised. "To be honest, I have no idea, Bookman. Why indeed?"

"Don't ask me. How would I know?"

"True. Anyway, we're here. Take your time. I'll be around, so tell Allen to text me when she's done so I can drive her back."

Lavi turned to enter, then changed his mind. He reached out to grab Tyki's wrist. "I... I do not approve of the Earl's methods. But – I appreciate how you take care of Allen."

"It's nothing," Tyki said, smiling. "Allen is my friend. I have every reason to take care of her."

"That's a relief."

"Now go on in and stop yakking around like a granny."

Tyki watched as Lavi walked in and was swallowed behind the door. With a sigh, Tyki realised that he had few friends who would care about his wellbeing the way Lavi did for Allen's wellbeing. There was Rhode of course, and she was more annoying relative and less caring friend, and she was very immature at times.

The rest of his relatives were idiots with warped mentalities... and Tyki wasn't sure if any of them cared for him the way Lavi cared for Allen. Allen probably did worry about Tyki, but other than Allen and Rhode, he didn't have many close confidantes. His coal-mining friends did care, but they did not know Tyki Mikk, Noah scion; they only knew Tyki, miner.

His double identity was wearing him down, and the lack of close connections between the Noahs made Tyki's heart clench a little. Was he missing out on life by choosing to remain with the Earl? Was he going against his own morals?

Tyki sighed and walked away, his footsteps heavy and loud against the smooth floor. His right hand reached down and pulled out a cigarette.

* * *

A/N: This is up far earlier than I thought it would be! I actually do like this chapter; I was on a roll when I wrote it. The next chapter is trickier, though :\ Besides, school is really busy atm, and it's kinda tough, so the next chapter might be up as late as April, though I hope not (:

Happy CNY to those of you who celebrate it, by the way!

And, vampire-charmer-101: thanks for reviewing as always! Couldn't reply you through the PM system though, so sorry! Glad you liked the previous chapter and well hmmm the baby I'll think about it (:

Oh, and if you have the time to, do check out leafyaki's Mad Boy's Love Song! It's a beautiful and somewhat tragic-ish piece and I absolutely loved it (:

Right – thanks for reading, I heart you guys! All reviews/comments/criticisms/suggestions are welcome!


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I don't own DGM!

* * *

Chapter 22

* * *

Lavi shivered the moment he entered the diner. The air was stale and the lighting poor; the chairs seemed old and the waiters aloof.

Then – there was Allen.

She sat at a table beside a full-length window, and the splintered sunlight that filtered in seemed to illuminate her; she glowed amid the swirling dust. On a whim, Lavi whipped his phone out and captured that moment with his camera.

Then Allen saw him. She waved.

"Hey," Lavi called, walking over. "Allen! It's been a while! You look... tired. I was gonna say you look good but to be honest you actually look kinda pale. What's the matter? Are you sick? Are the Noahs ill-treating you?"

"Oh, Lavi," Allen said, laughing. Some of the colour went back into her cheeks. "I'm just tired. And you haven't changed, have you? Always so much to say."

"Of course," Lavi said. "It's in my nature to irritate others. Just ask Yu. He knows!"

"He would," Allen said, then fell silent.

'I'm sorry," Lavi said, reading between the lines. "I didn't mean to upset you, truly."

"I know that..."

"So, actually, why did you ask to see me?"

"I – I actually want some help from you."

"Ahhh."

"No, no," Allen said. "You misunderstand. It's not about Kanda!"

"No?" Lavi looked perplexed. 'Then what is it about?"

"Well, you see, ever since I joined the Noahs I've been learning programming and the like. Computer stuff."

"Hard to imagine, though. You don't look the sort."

"I know. The Earl... has me hack into websites and databases at times."

"That's immoral."

"Of course it is. But I have to do it anyway." Allen grimaced.

"And?"

"And I need your advice."

"Spill," Lavi said. "And I need a drink. I'm, like, totally parched."

Allen chuckled, though the laughter did not quite reach her eyes. She waved one of the waiters over. "What do you want?"

'I think... anything spectacular here?"

"Nope."

"It's on the house, by the way," Allen said. "Tyki's treat."

"That's good. I'll take a green tea, thanks."

"Green tea?"

"Kanda's rubbing off on me," Lavi said, frowning. "Good thing, actually. Green tea's good for you, Lenalee says."

"It is... but what's healthy mightn't always do."

"True," Lavi said. "You can start your story if you feel like it."

"So yeah, as I was saying, I do some hacking now and then."

"Uh huh."

"Then – recently the Earl gave me a new task to complete. He didn't exactly specify what it was for, and generally I don't ask too much about the work he gives me. It's hard to live with what I do."

The green tea came at this juncture, and Lavi glanced sceptically at it. "It looks very different from the one Yu drinks, though."

"Kanda is not what you would call a normal guy, is he?"

Lavi caught the pain in Allen's eyes as Kanda's name fell off her tongue.

"You still miss him, huh."

"I –"

"Lying doesn't work on me, y'know?"

"Yeah, I do. I miss him. He's not a guy one meets every day. He's – he's –"

"He's one in a million," Lavi said.

"Yes, that." Allen looked away for a moment, and Lavi kept his tongue in check. "Back to the Earl... Tyki found out what the Earl might be doing with my work."

"What?"

"He – he's going to use it to hack into some government website and use the data to annihilate some million people!"

Lavi leaned back. His face was pale and gone was the joviality that usually danced in his one good eye. He looked up then looked down, all the while tapping a finger against his chin. "If what you say is true... is it true? Are you sure?"

"Tyki said it's for sure."

"He knows because?"

"He figured there was something suspicious and he confronted Lulu Bell and Cyril Kamelot."

"Hmmm." Lavi drank half the cup of green tea before he spoke again. "I suppose that means that he's telling the truth, huh."

"He is. I believe him."

"You would, eh. Right. This is really bad news. Do you know which government he's trying to attack? We need to get an idea of the scope of the whole thing, and see if we can find any legal and logistical loopholes. Maybe even financial loopholes, but I think the Earl has far too much money to spend if he can even think of doing such a thing," Lavi paused. "And he's a bastard."

"This is not the world you want your children growing up in," Allen agreed.

"That's just what I'm thinking."

"I know. Lavi, I'm – I'm really afraid. I couldn't sleep much last night. Every time I closed my eyes I'd see parents mourning the loss of a beloved child, and spouses weeping for their dead lovers. Then those empty eyes. Those empty grey eyes – they'd come up again, and it would run its pale, boneless fingers over my arms and smile into my face, and its eyes would hover before me..."

"Whose eyes?"

"Oh," Allen said, realising that she had never spoken of her dead child to Lavi before. "It's – just something from my past. But these nightmares... I can't bear to think of what the Earl will do with the work I do."

"Hmm. Then don't do it!"

"But –" Allen looked up directly to meet Lavi's gaze. "I – it galls me to admit this, but I still care for Kanda. The Earl would probably have me killed the way he had Uncle Neah assassinated, but – I can't help worrying for Kanda's safety. The Noahs know of my feelings for him. I can't bear... for such a scenario... to play out. And the Earl wouldn't think twice to harm all those I love."

Lavi nodded gravely. "I understand, Allen. The fate of millions, and the fate of the few you love. It sounds easy to make a decision, just weigh it on a scale and voila, you have the politically correct answer. You have to save a million souls just because numerically speaking, they are more important than the, say, tens of people you care about."

Allen looked away; she could not bear to see the burning pain in Lavi's one eye.

"But it's a tough choice to make, because in that instance when you decide to prioritize those million souls, you betray those nearest and dearest to you. It's Hobson's choice."

"You – I'm sorry. You had to make such a choice before?"

"Me?" Lavi laughed, his voice harsh like never before. "No, not me. I would never have the moral courage to make a choice like this. My father did have this burden, though, and ultimately my mother and aunt died because of it."

"I always wondered..."

"Why I was an orphan? Yes, my father had a difficult choice to make. He was a lawyer too, y'know. He had to decide whether or not to take on a certain case. This case, it involved drugs and prostitution and a hell lot of immoral and illicit doings. Panda told me my father thought long and hard. He knew that the uncaught members of the ring might try and harm him, harm us. But he took the case up in the end."

"For justice."

"He could never bear to see injustice. It was a passion of his. A dangerous passion. In the end, they killed him and my mother. And they took my aunt, who was pregnant, and shot her straight in the belly. I was there, I saw the blood." Lavi looked away; there were tears glistening in his eye.

"I'm sorry."

"They shot me in the eye, too, but I played dead and crawled out when they left... Tiedoll drove past and saw me. He took me to the hospital. That's why I wear an eye-patch and that's how I got to know Tiedoll and Kanda. Grandpa took me in after that."

"It must have been painful," Allen said.

"It was. I'm mostly over it now, though." Lavi managed a weak and watery smile. "So, yes. The correct choice is difficult to make. Wherein does right and wrong lie? If you choose to be selfish, I will not blame you. If you choose to be unselfish – well, Lenalee and I have two guns and a car that goes miles. Once you give us the word, we'll arm ourselves and maybe go on the run. Kanda can protect himself, too."

"To do or not to do – that is the question," Allen said, sighing.

"That's a bastardization of Hamlet," Lavi said. He smiled; it was a tired smile. There were some hitherto unseen wrinkles around his eye. "I'm sorry you have to bear such a burden."

"No, thank you for sharing your story with me. Do... do the rest know it?"

"Lenalee and Kanda do."

"I –"

"Let's not dwell on the past any longer," Lavi said. "Maybe I can help you find some loopholes in the Earl's plans. Meanwhile, if you decide to be unselfish after all, you could perhaps try to find ways to thwart the Earl's ability to access and hack the government database."

"I will –"

Lavi placed a finger over his own lips. "Hush, Allen. You don't have to tell me what you intend to do right now. It would be better if you went back and think about what you truly want before you reach a choice. This choice is irrevocable, remember. You have to be very, very sure; you have to school your resolve. This is a burden that you alone can carry."

"I understand."

"I will do what I can in the meantime," Lavi said, "and when you have truly made up your mind, give me a call."

Allen nodded. "Thanks, Lavi. I appreciate it. Would Lenalee be mad – would she mind that you might be putting yourself in danger?"

"Lenalee will understand," Lavi said. "There are always sacrifices to be made. We both know this from past experience."

"Lenalee too?"

"Yes. She might tell you the story at a later date, but this is all I share for now," Lavi said.

"Thanks for helping. Are you going now?"

"I think so, Allen. I have a lot of work to catch up on..."

"Goodbye, then. Thanks for coming." Allen watched as Lavi stood up and made to leave. "How's the baby?"

"He's doing fine," Lavi said. A warm smile spread over his rather wan face. "He's great. Doesn't cry much. He's a godsend."

"I'm glad," Allen said.

Lavi nodded. Then, as if on impulse, he reached over and grasped Allen's hands. "Thank you so much, Allen, for giving us the chance to care for this little bundle of joy. I – we will forever be in your debt."

"Don't say that... it was my pleasure."

"I will do anything to help you defeat the Earl once you give me the go-ahead. Even if you find you cannot endanger us all and choose to save us, I will still battle on to save those million souls."

"I'm glad," Allen said. "I'm not sure if I have the moral strength to decide nay or yea."

"May you reach a speedy and wise decision," Lavi said. He released her hands and smiled again. "I hope to hear from you soon."

:::

"You're less moody today," Rhode said, surveying Allen with large eyes. "I wonder why."

"Please pass the butter, Rhode," Allen said. "And have I really been that moody?"

"You bet. You've been so moody the past few days I thought maybe you were possessed or something."

"You think too much, Rhode."

"Nah," Rhode said. "It's true. Devitto asked me if it was your time of the month. I told him no, it wasn't, 'cause even when that time rolls round you're usually still nice."

"Hmm."

"So aren't you going to tell me what's going wrong?"

"I don't think she will, Rhode," Tyki said. He sat down beside his niece and reached for the porcelain cup sitting before him. "Pass the coffee jug."

"I won't," Rhode said, sticking her tongue out at her uncle.

"Your choice," Tyki said, now pulling Rhode's cup toward himself. He took a sip. "Urgh. What is this? It's disgusting."

Rhode sniggered. "You're lousy, Uncle Tyki. That's hot chocolate."

"Don't kid me, child. I know how hot chocolate tastes like. This... this abomination is simply not hot chocolate."

"It is," Allen said, "only sweetened far more than usual."

"I see," Tyki said, grimacing. "You're a strange child, Rhode."

Rhode glowered.

"No need to glare," Tyki said. "We all know it."

Rhode rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to a reluctant Allen. "You haven't told me why you're behaving so strangely."

"I –"

"Has Kanda Yu found himself a new girl? Is that why you've been so upset? Did you think through the matter last night and decide that Kanda Yu isn't worth your time and effort and _heart_?"

"No," Allen said. She looked away – out of the window – at the green, rolling grass. 'I wish he had."

"You wish he had?" Rhode asked. "Serious?"

"Yes. I – I know he's still waiting for me to return... I wish he could just get over it and be happy again."

"He's never happy," Tyki remarked.

"That's right, dish the guy," Rhode said. "Not that he's lovable or anything, though I must admit he's good-looking. But Allen, maybe you can forget about Kanda and think about Tyki instead?"

"What?" Tyki gasped.

"Pardon?" Allen said.

"All done in the name of fun," Rhode said. "Neither of you suits the other anyway."

"Don't pout, my dear Rhode," Tyki said.

"But I'm cuter when I pout, so Daddy says."

"Your father is sick."

"You –"

"Look, Allen's leaving," Tyki interrupted.

"Allen!" Rhode called after, her feud with Tyki immediately forgotten.

"I'll go," Tyki said. "You'll agitate her further."

Tyki caught with Allen just before she managed to enter her room.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. "

"Don't lie – you were cheerful just now and then all of a sudden you sneak off so swiftly. There's obviously something wrong," Tyki said, looking down at Allen.

"I just – the mention of Kanda's name –"

"Rhode did mention Kanda's name. So she's the culprit. I suspected as much," Tyki said. "Hmm, still sensitive, are we?"

"Can't help it," Allen said, refusing to meet Tyki's eyes.

"I see you are greatly troubled by the matter we spoke about."

"Could I not be?"

"Well... I guess not."

"Of course not." Allen finally met Tyki's eyes.

"You're tearing," Tyki said. "Come on in."

He dragged Allen into his room and handed her a piece of tissue. "Dry your tears, that's a good girl."

"Thanks," Allen said, swiping at her eyes with the piece of tissue.

Tyki waited at the side, perched on the side of an armchair. He fiddled with his tie. "So have you decided what to do?"

"Do?"

"The project."

"I – I don't know..."

"That's to be expected."

"Are you disappointed in me, Tyki?"

"Why in the world should I be disappointed in you, Allen?" Tyki asked. He stood up and circled the room, hands in his pockets. "I have no right to be disappointed in you."

"Tyki?"

"It's true," Tyki said. "I have never been a paragon of virtue myself. I don't even have a never-ending loyalty to the Noahs to justify my presence here. I wonder myself why I continue to stay here... why do I stay shackled to this mansion of greed? Do you wonder, Allen?"

"Sometimes."

"This is a question I cannot answer. I have asked myself this very question time and again, and there is no answer to be found! Perhaps I stay because Cyril is my blood brother. Perhaps I stay to enjoy the luxurious environment. Perhaps I love power."

Allen tugged at Tyki's sleeve. "Tyki, Tyki," she said, "come back to reality."

Tyki laughed bitterly. "Perhaps I stay simply because I am disinterested in the doings of the Earl and the Noahs. Seeing all the pain and hurt we release on the world, I feel no guilty nor pleasure, but instead choose to shut my eyes against the suffering of others, to continue my pleasure-ful life in my little bubble."

Allen did not quite know what to say. She still held on to Tyki's sleeve, and now she shook her head.

"I'm a bad man, am I not?"

"You're a good friend," Allen said, "whatever else you may be."

Tyki laughed again, equally bitterly, but this time round he took Allen into his embrace and held her close.

:::

Lavi was tired. Very, very tired – he'd many cases on hand and some of the clients were annoying the hell out of him, and there were still the Noahs to worry about. With a sigh, Lavi glanced out the window, watching the sun dip below the line of trees, its orange-red light subdued and dying in the cloaks of night.

Thankfully the day would soon end, and he could head home to wife and child as soon as he finished briefing the cases at hand. Lavi reached for his coffee mug and prepared to dive headlong into the complexities of the cases in the file before him – and paused with cup midway to mouth as he heard a certain familiar voice floating (or rather, roaring) down outside his door.

Then his door swung open and an irate Kanda appeared in the doorway, his dark eye circles evident even in the mild light of the corridor. Then Lavi's secretary, flustered and panting, poked her head round the door.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Couldn't stop him."

"It's alright, no mere mortal can ever stop him," Lavi said, dismissing her.

Kanda stomped in.

"What brings you here, buddy? Y'know, I'm always real glad to see you, but I'm like buried up to my neck in shit today, so, y'know, maybe we can catch up another time?"

Kanda glowered, and didn't budge. "I didn't come here for idle chitchat."

"You're not the sort," Lavi agreed. "What's the matter, then?"

"I heard you met the Beansprout a few days ago."

"Where did you hear that from?"

'Daisya. Is it true?"

"Kanda," Lavi said, "I want you to take a deep breath now."

"What?"

"Please."

"No. Answer my question."

"Fine. Don't explode, alright? I kinda like my office the way it is. Yes, I did meet Allen."

Kanda's hands quivered by his sides, but he kept his composure. He sat on the couch at the side. 'What happened? Why did she ask to see you? Why – why... never mind, damn it!"

"Were you about to ask why she asked to see me and not you?" Lavi asked, smirking. "Well, just to clarify matters a bit, she's still in love with you."

"I – didn't – you idiot –"

"That settles matters, I think. You're in love with her and she's in love with you – but circumstances outside your control separate the two lovers – look here, our very own Romeo and Juliet!"

"I didn't come here for this."

Lavi leaned back and surveyed Kanda. "I'm really busy, Kanda. I'm not trying to hedge out of this talk – except I'm really very busy."

He took a swig of coffee and gestured at the piles of files. "See them? I have to get through them by tonight. Then after that I still have to think of how to save –"

"Save what?" Kanda asked, giving Lavi a suspicious look.

"Nothing that concerns you," Lavi said, well aware that he had accidentally roused Kanda's dormant curiosity. "Just – please – not tonight."

Kanda seemed to sigh. Finally he nodded. "Tomorrow."

"Come over to dinner tomorrow?"

"You'll tell me what's going on?"

"Yes," Lavi said. "Yes, of course. I'll tell you everything you have to know."

Kanda stalked out.

"But this saving-people business isn't something you need to know about," Lavi said, shaking his head at the coffee mug. He sighed.

:::

"The Earl's crying," Lulu Bell said to Cyril Kamelot.

"Again?" Cyril said, not bothering to look up from the evening papers.

"He doesn't always cry," Lulu said. "Something's obviously weighing heavily on his mind."

"You know how touchy he gets around this time," Wisely said. "He thinks of the Fourteenth."

"That's true," Cyril said.

"He's too pitiful," Lulu Bell said. "I wish I could help ease his pain."

"You can't," Cyril said. "Speaking of the Fourteenth, do you think Tyki has told Allen Walker about the Earl's plan?"

"I don't doubt it," Wisely said. "They're as thick as thieves, those two."

"He wouldn't," Lulu Bell said. "He's still a Noah, when all is said and done. Tyki wouldn't betray us. And even if he did..."

"I think he has," Cyril said. "This brother of mine has no sense of ... decorum."

"Decorum?" Lulu said, raising a pencilled eyebrow. "Even if he did tell Allen Walker, there's nothing she can do to prevent the Earl's glorious plan from succeeding. She hasn't the gumption her uncle had."

"You'll be surprised," Wisely said.

"Do you know something about her that we don't, Wisely?"

"No, Cyril, I don't. But – my gut tells me that Allen Walker isn't simply the nice and sweet girl she seems to be."

"Your gut is as reliable as our weathercock," Cyril said. Said weathercock could never accurately predict the weather.

Wisely huffed and left the room.

"He's gone," Lulu said. "Finally."

"He knows too much about our plan. The plan was supposed to be kept between us and the Earl... Now everyone else knows about it, or will know about it. Urgh."

"So, what did you think?"

"Think about what, Lulu?"

"Do you think Allen Walker might do something to sabotage our plan?"

"No, I don't think so. She knows what's in the balance for her if she does."

"You don't mean..."

"Yes, that's what I mean, Cyril. She still loves Kanda Yu."

"Ah. I see now why our plan will still succeed in the end."

:::

"Talk," Kanda said. "We're not leaving till you tell me the whole story."

"Of course, of course," Lavi said. He swivelled his chair slightly. "Take a seat?"

Kanda mumbled something under his breath, but did not refuse the seat offered. He leaned back against the cushiony back of the chair and waited.

Lavi swung himself out of his seat, unable to look at Kanda. "It's like this..."

"What?"

"So, I met Allen that day..." Lavi trailed off, not quite sure how to continue.

Kanda didn't seem to notice that Lavi was for once at a loss for words. "How was she?"

Lavi stared at Kanda for the slightest moment, before pulling his cell phone out. He scrolled through the folders.

"Here," he said, passing the phone to Kanda. "Have a look yourself."

Kanda seemed surprised, but looked anyway. There Allen was, eyes wistful and face pale, light illuminating her slender (and rather haggard) silhouette.

"Her cheeks..." Kanda said. "They seem more hollow."

"She's gotten gaunter," Lavi agreed.

"Is she sick?"

"Nope, not physically sick, anyway. She's heartsick."

"Heartsick?" Kanda said. "That's not even a real word! Stop joking, Lavi."

"I'm not joking; it's a real word! And I mean it. She's heartsick."

"Why?"

"Are you dense or what, Yu? She misses you for one. For another..."

"For another?"

"Nothing, Yu. Nothing."

"Complete your sentence," Kanda said, frowning. "You were going to say something else."

"It wasn't anything much," Lavi said, trying to smile but failing horribly.

"So why won't she leave?"

"Sometimes, my friend, I wonder whether you do have brains..."

"The hell?"

"You'll find out in time," Lavi said. "There, I've told you all I know."

"You haven't. What did she tell you?"

"Nothing much... Lavi strode to the windows and looked out. "We just talked for a while. She was lonely, that's all."

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Yes," Lavi said. He turned back to face Kanda, his one good eye full of relentless fire. "Yes."

Kanda stared at Lavi, trying to gauge his honesty. There was no smile on Lavi's face, and his eye was open and not scrunched up the way it was sometimes when he lied.

Kanda nodded. "Bring me along the next time."

"Maybe," Lavi said, now smirking. "If she ever invites me again..."

"You'd better," Kanda said, "or I'll kill you when I know of it."

Lavi shrugged and checked his cell phone. There was a message from Allen Walker, he noted. "Well, Kanda, I have an appointment soon. I'll see you around?"

Kanda gave Lavi a suspicious glance, but left without making a fuss. Lavi sighed and grabbed his blazer.

_Tyki's café in half an hour_, the message had read. Lavi absently left his office, wondering why Allen wanted to see him so urgently. Had she decided, perhaps? Was it to be love or global peace? Would she sacrifice the personal for the general, or would she strive to protect her nearest and dearest?

Lavi tried to imagine having to make the decision that Allen had to make. He could scarcely imagine which route he would choose in the end. He sighed and wished he had the same quantity of spunk and nobility that his late father had possessed.

:::

"You sure about this?" Tyki asked. "There will be serious repercussions... have you considered them thoroughly?"

"Yes, I have. I've thought about this long and hard. Kanda or the world?" Allen gave a short, bitter laugh. "I would protect both, if I could. Seeing as I can't, I have to make a choice, however painful this might be."

"I – you're sure?"

"I'm sure, Tyki. This is probably the surest I've ever felt in my life."

"Well then," Tyki said, "I won't try to dissuade you. I wish you much luck, Allen. I won't be able to help you overtly, but – I can do a favour or two for you now and then, remember that."

"You've done me too many favours, Tyki!" Allen reached over and grabbed Tyki's hands. "I'm glad to have such a friend. It's a blessing."

"I would have thought that having a friend like me was more of a tragedy."

"No, not at all! You've done so much for me."

"Oh, look. There's Bookman."

"He's here?" Allen turned and waved Lavi over.

"I'll make myself scarce, then." Tyki nodded at Lavi, then headed toward the staff room at the side of the bistro.

"Hey," Lavi said. "So you've made up your mind?"

"Yes, that's why I texted you."

"I see. So which poison will it be? The bitter one or the rotten one?"

"Both are equally bitter and hard to swallow," Allen said, trying to smile but failing. "I have chosen to save the world."

"I see, I see. I thought you might."

"How could I not? This burden..."

"I would probably make a different choice," Lavi said. "I haven't half your pluck."

"Dutch courage, I think we'll call it."

"Not Dutch courage," Lavi said. "You're truly a brave and noble girl."

"Thanks," Allen replied. Then she paused. "How will you and Lenalee cope?"

"Oh, we'll manage. Somehow. I'll set the plans in motion; then, Lenalee and I will up and go. We'll warn the rest too."

"Don't forget Kanda." – very quietly.

"We won't," Lavi said. "I'll knock him cold and drag him with us if I have to."

"Thanks."

"Are you sure you don't want to let him into the plan as well? He could be an asset."

"He might, but..."

"But you don't want him to carry such a burden?"

Allen could only nod as she tried to loosen the right knot forming in her throat.

"Right, so now for the plans... I've done some research."

Allen nodded.

:::

It took Allen and Lavi a week to settle their plans.

"This must be the quickest defence plan ever set into motion," Lavi said. "I hope it will work."

"I hope so, too," Allen said.

"Now – we're all done here. You just need to complete your side of the plan, and we'll be fine."

"I wish we could reduce the future casualty rate to zero."

"Not possible, my friend, but we're doing good by reducing it to just one per cent of the previous estimate. So chin up! You're saving lives."

"Lives can't be measured in this way. A million lives saved cannot mitigate ten thousand lives lost."

"Justice is not to be weighed on golden scales. It's all a matter of proportion."

"I'll take your word for it," Allen said, laughing. "Goodbye, Lavi. I hope you will be safe. Look after the others too, alright?"

"Of course," Lavi said. He pressed Allen's hands and kissed her on a cheek. "Stay safe. Don't let the Earl get wind of our plans."

"I will," she promised.

"And stick with Tyki," Lavi said. "I hate to admit it, but Tyki represents your best chance of survival. Once the plan is done, you've gotta run, and bring Tyki along with you. And a couple of guns."

"Yes, yes. Take care, Lavi."

Lavi nodded and stepped into his car. He started the engine and was off with a wave. Allen grew smaller in his rear-view mirror, her stick-thin figure shrinking as the distance increased. Lavi sighed and made for home. It was now time to tell Lenalee that they had to leave the city they loved.

When Lavi reached home, he found Lenalee singing to their baby.

"Lena," he called. "I've got something to tell you."

"What is it about?"

"We've got to leave at once, darling."

"You're not serious!"

"I am."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you when you get out of this city. We'll be gone for a good while, so pack everything you think we'll need."

"Where are we going?"

Lavi took Lenalee's hands and squeezed them gently. "Somewhere safe."

"A safe house?"

"Something like that. Now, we've got to hurry, Lena. We still need to pick Kanda up."

"What about Komui?"

"He'll be fine," Lavi said. "I'll tell Panda to keep a watch on him."

"Allen?" Lenalee's voice was close to faltering now.

"She'll be safe with Tyki Mikk. Come, let's pack now."

:::

"Do you think Kanda will go with us? I'm pretty sure he'll want a thorough explanation."

"Lena, don't worry. I'll knock him out if I have to."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry, Lena. Look, we're here. You stay in the car, I'll be quick."

Lavi bounced up the steps that led to Kanda's doors. He knocked.

An irate Kanda opened the door. "What is it."

"Lenalee and I are travelling out of this city. Want to join us?"

"No."

Kanda made to shut the door, but Lavi wedged his foot in. "No, wait, wait," he said, and invited himself into the house.

"What are you doing, idiot?" Kanda asked. He turned around. "This is my house, and you're trespassing."

"Here, look at this," Lavi said, pointing to a piece of paper on the hall table.

"What?" Kanda leaned in close. "There's nothing –"

_Well, he's out cold now_, Lavi thought, putting the paperweight in his fingers away. Lavi dragged Kanda out of the door and pushed him into car.

"This looks like a scene out of an action movie," Lenalee said.

"I'd bet it does!" Lavi climbed into the driver's seat. "And now to adventure!"

"Adventure?"

"Secrecy, actually," Lavi said. "My bad."

:::

"They're gone, Tyki," Allen said.

"Who's gone?"

"Lavi and the rest. They've fled the city."

"I don't think that's quite far enough, though. The Earl has long arms."

"As does justice."

"Justice is just a metaphor for upholding the rights of the stronger party."

"You're drunk, Tyki."

"So I am, so I am."

"I want to get drunk tonight too."

:::

Kanda felt his head ache when he shifted his weight along the bed. Wait – why was he even in bed? Hadn't he been cooking dinner when – when what? When Lavi arrived? Then what? He'd looked at a paper...

Kanda forced his eyes open, wincing slightly as the sore part of his head dragged along the pillowcase. It was night now, and from where he lay he could see the night-lights of the city blinking through the darkness. But – since when did he command such a view of the city from his bedroom? Since when did the city even look like this at night?

Kanda pushed the covers off and started hunting for the light switch. He found it in an unfamiliar place, and soon saw that he was in a strange room. The room was rather sparsely decorated – just a desk, chair, bed and wardrobe, with a rather shabby rug before the door.

Frowning, he opened the door and stepped out into a dark hallway. He trod softly lest he wake the unknown inhabitants, coming at last to a sitting room where Lavi and Lenalee, to his surprise, sat talking in hushed voices.

"Why the hell am I here?" he demanded, and was gratified to see his friends' shock and fear.

"Oh, Kanda, you're awake," Lenalee said. "Come, join us."

"Why am I here?" Kanda moved into the light, but did not sit.

"Uh, you see," Lavi began, "we, uh..."

"Why did you kidnap me? Is the beansprout getting married to that hooligan?"

Lavi shook his head. "Nothing so trivial as that."

"Then what is it?"

"Kanda, calm down," Lenalee said. "Lavi said he'd tell us the story when you came to."

"I'm awake now. So tell your freaking story and make sure it's good."

Lavi took a deep breath. "So you see, the story goes like this: once upon a time, a girl named Allen left to join a group of people called the Noahs."

"I think we know that part, dear."

"Yeah, well. Sometime later, she found out why the Earl wanted her. She was to be a pawn in his nefarious plans."

"Obvious shit," Kanda said.

"She didn't think the Earl was capable of doing something so inhumane at first, y'know? So, yeah, she found out about the plans."

"So what were the plans?" Lenalee asked.

"To hack into a government database."

"And then?

"And this would somehow destroy at least a million people."

Lenalee gasped.

Kanda frowned. "Then?"

"Then she had to make a choice."

"Why the need for a choice?" Kanda asked. "Isn't saving lives... more important?"

"Not when the lives of the people you love are at stake."

"The lives..."

"You don't mean," said Lenalee, "you don't mean the Earl is targeting us?"

"He's not targeting us _yet_," Lavi said.

"But he will soon!"

"I'm not afraid of him," Kanda said. "Is that why we came here? We flew here to hide like fucking cowards?"

"We have to save our lives!" Lavi said. "Allen wanted us to leave."

"Where is she?" Kanda demanded.

"Still with the Noahs."

"You fucking left her there in that lions' den?" Kanda reached over and grabbed Lavi's collar.

"Kanda!" Lenalee's hands were now at his back. "Let go of Lavi!"

"You fucking let her stay there while we left like cowards?"

"Kanda –" Lavi said, trying hard to breathe, "let go of me. Please. She has to stay. She's not done with her work."

"Didn't you say she wasn't going to continue with her project?"

"Lena, I didn't say anything of the sort. She's going to replace her original project with something less devastating. We estimate the death toll of this new project to be one per cent that of the previous one."

"How long have you known this, Usagi?"

"For a fortnight or so."

"And you didn't tell me when I asked."

"I couldn't. I promised Allen."

"Fuck you," Kanda said. He left the room.

"Do you think he'll go back?" Lenalee asked.

"Not yet, I should think." Lavi shook his head. "I knew he'd take it hard."

* * *

AN: Finals are over, and here's the next chapter of this fic (: Tbh it's getting too draggy for my liking and I feel like wrapping it up asap, but somewhat unfortunately, it galls me as a writer to increase the pacing so much as to create confusion. I think there will be at least 5 chapters yet ;S

Thanks for reading! As usual, all reviews and comments would be greatly appreciated (:


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own DGM.

* * *

Chapter 23

* * *

"_How long have you known this, Usagi?"_

"_For a fortnight or so."_

"_And you didn't tell me when I asked."_

"_I couldn't. I promised Allen."_

"_Fuck you," Kanda said. He left the room. _

"_Do you think he'll go back?" Lenalee asked._

"_Not yet, I should think." Lavi shook his head. "I knew he'd take it hard."_

:::

Kanda returned to his room and slammed the door shut. He had never imagined, even in his wildest flights of fantasy – not that he ever took many such flights – that such a scenario would ever come into play.

He had never trusted or liked the Earl, but he had not, until some moments before, actually conceived the idea that the Earl was a man whose bland, smiling countenance belied such nefarious plans. And now Allen was in their clutches. That was always a dangerous place to be in, especially since she was now working against them.

Kanda sighed, wondering what he should do now. Tiedoll and Lavi assumed that he was in all circumstances apt to be rash, but they were wrong. He could, at times and sparingly, command a great deal of self-restraint. The question now was what he could do to help the Beansprout without endangering her life. Tyki Mikk was at the manor too, so Kanda didn't have to worry about Allen's safety for the time being. Mikk was annoying, but Kanda could see that Mikk would at least protect the Beansprout for the time being.

But Lulu Bell was there too, and Cyril Kamelot, and these two were, according to Lavi, the Earl's best agents of evil. Kanda sighed again.

:::

Kanda awoke to find himself sprawled on his temporary bed. His back ached slightly, and his neck felt like it had been twisted a few times over. Groaning, he stretched, allowing the ghost of a smile to creep onto his face.

A brilliant plan had come with the dawn, and Kanda was ready to face all the evil masterminds of the world now. His long brainstorming session the night before had yielded excellent results.

Now – now, his immediate course of action would be corner Lavi and perhaps Lenalee, and get them to see reason – that is to say, to agree with him that his plan ought to be executed. _Hell_, Kanda thought, with a nasty smirk, _since Lavi didn't even bother telling me, I'll just carry my plan through even if he disagrees_.

So Kanda went in search of Lavi, and found him huddled in the kitchen eating cold toast while Lenalee made coffee at the stove. Lavi gaped at the sight of Kanda.

"Oh, good morning, Yu!" Lavi said. He waved his toast. "Feeling better?"

"Shut it," Kanda said. "I've something to tell you."

Lenalee brought the coffee jug over to the table. "Want some?"

Kanda nodded, much to Lenalee's surprise. "Didn't sleep much," he said in answer to her quizzical expression.

"I've been thinking," Kanda said, after taking a few sips of the rather sweet coffee, "and I've a plan. And before I tell you about it, I want to make this clear: I don't give a damn if you agree with me – I'm still going to carry it through."

"Do tell," Lavi said.

"We should have a plan of action. While the Beansprout is away trying to save lives, we should do some checks on the Earl and the Noahs. And then find some way of spiriting her to safety the moment she's done."

"Allen and Tyki are gonna escape as soon as she does what she needs to do," Lavi said, "so we don't need to worry about that for now."

"But we do need to worry about how we're going to live in future," Lenalee said.

"That's true," Lavi said. "I suppose that's what the checks are for? So we have evidence to bring an action against the Earl?"

"Yes," Kanda said.

"That's easier said than done, though," Lavi said. "I've tried to get information, but I've only been hitting dead ends."

"I'm going to ask Daisya for help," Kanda said.

"Daisya?" Lenalee asked. "Why him?"

"He's got connections," Kanda said. "His fiancee's father heads an investigative agency."

"That sounds like a plan," Lavi said.

"Of course," Kanda said, looking rather smug. He pulled his cell phone out and combed through his contacts. He dialled Daisya's number, and waited. "Daisya."

"Kanda? What a lovely surprise! Man, I thought you'd forgotten all about your brother. I miss you... not very much. But I still miss you. And, oh, Tiedoll's here too, let me just get him –"

"– No!" Kanda said. "Listen, you idiot."

"Eh?"

"Don't get Tiedoll. I need a favour from you. Are you alone?"

"Yeah, I'm in my room. What favour?"

"Why do you sound so gleeful? If you're thinking about blackmailing me, it's not going to happen."

"Aw," Daisya said. "Fine. What's up? What favour do you need?"

"Can you ask your future father-in-law to do some checks for me?"

"Hmm."

"Please."

"I suppose you wouldn't try to get my help if the reason isn't legitimate," Daisya said.

"Yes," Kanda said, forcing himself to stay calm.

"Alright, I'll ask him. Who do you want to run checks on?"

"The Earl of Millennium, and his Noahs," Kanda said.

"Oooooh, okay! What did they do to you?"

"It's Allen who's in danger," Kanda said.

"Allen!" Daisya said. "Oh dear, oh dear now. Okay, I'll do what I can to help! Get back to you soon, alright?"

"Thanks," Kanda said grimly. Then he looked at Lavi. "He'll help us."

"That's great," Lavi said. "We need to act really quickly, though... we have, like, two days to do this!"

"Daisya does things rather quickly, so we can probably expect to hear from him by the end of today."

"Thank goodness," Lenalee said, sinking down into a nearby chair.

"Now we wait," Lavi said.

:::

Dusk saw Kanda standing moodily at the gate of the little house they currently occupied. It was rather a dark evening, and shadows lay waiting about the yard. Kanda leaned on the fence and looked out toward the horizon.

"Kanda?" Lavi called, walking out the front door. "It's time for dinner."

"I'll pass," Kanda said. He flipped his phone again.

"Stop doing that, Kanda," Lavi said. "Doesn't help us any even if you manage to flip your phone a hundred times."

Kanda scowled but said nothing, though he tightened his hold on the fence.

Lavi gave Kanda's shoulder a squeeze. "Come on, Kanda. Dinner first. Daisya won't call any sooner even if you skip dinner. And Lenalee's made soba today!"

Kanda shrugged Lavi's hands off. "You go in."

"I swear, Kanda, you're the most exasperating person ever!"

Then there was silence. Lavi had left for the house. Kanda stayed outside, feeling the wind blowing strong against his skin. A few minutes later, he heard the crunching of leaves under shoes, and a soft hand nudged his arm.

"Not hungry?" Lenalee asked.

"No."

"You have to eat more, Kanda. Allen wouldn't want to see you like this."

"She wouldn't."

"So come on in and eat!"

"No appetite."

"I understand," Lenalee said, "but it's really lonely standing out here in the shadows. Come in and sit with us even if you're not hungry. Let us help share your burden, alright?"

Kanda looked out toward the horizon again, then nodded and followed Lenalee into the house.

His desultory mood followed him into the house; he picked listlessly at the soba in his bowl and frowned at the cup of green tea at the side.

"Seriosuly, Yu, you're not hungry?" Lavi asked, having already finished his dinner.

Kanda glared at him, and Lavi looked away, somewhat embarrassed; then, the awkward silence was broken by the beeping of Kanda's phone.

"Kanda!" Lenalee said. "Your phone!"

"I know," Kanda said. His phone was already at his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Yu, it's me!"

"Well? What news do you have?"

"Plenty!" Daisya said. "In fact, I'm driving down now!"

"The hell? You know where we are?"

"Lavi told me," Daisya said. "I'll be there in a bit, just giving you a heads up. Bye!"

Kanda ended the call.

"What is it?" Lenalee asked.

"He's coming."

"Who?" Lavi asked. "Daisya?"

"You told him where we are?" Kanda asked. "What if he spilled the beans?"

"He wouldn't," Lavi said. "I trust him entirely, and you do, too. So he's got news for us, huh."

"Yeah."

"I wonder," Lenalee said, "what exactly he has found out. It must be really important for him to drive out here tonight..."

The three of them cleared the dishes and sat in the living room, counting the minutes till Daisya's arrival. When the clock finally struck nine, Kanda stood up and started pacing the room.

"He should be here by now!" Kanda said, his face stormy.

"Do you think he got lost?" Lenalee asked. "This place is really hard to find."

"I hope he's alright," Lavi said. "I wonder if the Earl knows anything."

"He'd better not," Kanda said, fingers clenched tight around his phone.

"A car!" Lenalee cried. 'Look, the window!"

Lavi and Kanda rushed to the window overlooking the yard.

"Too dark," Lavi said. "I can't see the car plate."

"Me neither."

"Where's your gun, Yu?"

"I didn't bring it along, you idiot! You dragged me off, remember?"

"Right, right. I have a gun here somewhere, eh, Lenalee?"

Lenalee nodded. She went over to a cabinet and pulled the revolver out. "Here."

"Let's dim the lights," Lavi said.

"It's no use," Kanda said. "They've already seen us."

"True," Lavi said."Lenalee, you stay here, okay? We'll go welcome this visitor."

Lavi and Kanda moved toward the door.

"I'll go first," Kanda said.

'I've got a gun," Lavi protested.

"I have better reflexes, regardless," Kanda said, and opened the door.

The visitor, garbed in a dark coat and dark jeans, stood shivering slightly on their doorstep. Lavi raised the gun.

"Who are you?" Lavi asked.

The visitor looked up, and for the slightest instance both Lavi and Kanda felt real fear run through their veins. Then something clicked in their minds.

Lavi stashed the gun away into his pocket and pushed Kanda aside, moving forward to take the stranger into his embrace. Kanda made no move to stop him, and instead nodded gruffly at the newcomer.

"Man, I'm cold," the visitor said.

"Come on in," Lavi said. "It must have been a rather long journey, Daisya!"

Daisya nodded. "You won't believe what I've lived through today."

"Who is it?" Lenalee called from the sitting room, her voice heavy with anxiety.

"It's the idiot," Kanda said.

"The idiot?" Lenalee asked, and stepped into the dimly-lit hallway. "Daisya!"

"Fair Lenalee!" Daisya said, and laughed. "Could you please get me a glass of something warm?"

"He's shivering," Lavi said, nodding at his wife.

"Sit," Kanda said.

Daisya took a seat on the divan. "This has been a bad evening. Bad day, in fact."

"Why so?" Lavi asked.

Daisya grimaced and then took the glass of warm green tea offered by Lenalee. "I was followed on my way here."

"You're not serious!" Lavi exclaimed.

Kanda immediately crossed the room and looked out the windows.

"Nothing to see, I think," Daisya said. "I lost 'em somewhere. But maybe you'd better draw the curtains, just in case."

"Who followed you?" Lavi asked. "Did the Earl send his people after you?"

"My guess is that all of us – who are somehow related to Allen and Yu – we have been monitored closely by the Earl's people."

"Took you long enough to figure this out," Kanda said.

"Don't be mean, Kanda," Lenalee said. "How did you find out? And how did you escape from them?"

"I noticed a black car driving behind me for the greater part of the journey. They seemed quite inexperienced..."

"The Earl probably thought you weren't much of a threat," Lavi said.

"He thought wrong, then," Daisya said, with a triumphant gleam in his eyes. "Anyway – I managed to dodge them after a very long while. I almost drove into a river at one point."

"Goodness!" Lenalee exclaimed. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"No," Daisya said. "Thankfully, no."

"Why is the Earl so insistent on seeing Allen succeed?" Lavi asked out loud. "That was a rhetorical question, by the way."

"No one was planning to answer," Kanda said, shrugging lightly. "If you idi – if you all are done with the damned pleasantries, then let's get cracking."

"Yeah, the information," Daisya said, "I have it with me."

Kanda held out a hand.

"Uh-uh," Daisya said. "Not handing it over to you yet. It's gotta go on my laptop first. You see, the information is really confidential; really, really so."

"And?" Kanda asked.

Daisya fished a rather battered laptop from his rucksack. "And that's why it's gotta go on my laptop, see, 'cause I've installed many protective programs and such over the years."

"Che."

"It's a good plan," Lavi said. "We don't want to leave traces, do we, Yu?"

Kanda grunted.

"That's my boy," Lavi said happily, leaning over the arm of Daisya's chair. "So, what have we got?"

"Hold on," Daisya said. "I need to plug the hard drive in."

The four of them leaned forward, watching with bated breath as Daisya's laptop made whirring sounds. The external drive icon finally started blinking after a rather long wait, and Daisya clicked on it. There were a few different files within the hard drive.

"Let's look at the video, first, shall we?" Daisya asked, and promptly clicked on it.

The video player program came to life, and an old man, his hair white as snow, with deep wrinkles about his eyes and chin, appeared on the screen.

"I was there, that year," the old man said, his voice raspy, as if he had not spoken in years.

"Why didn't you go to the police?" the interviewer asked.

"What could the police have done? What can they do? They didn't have the power to stop the Noahs then. They don't have the power now, either." The old man shook his head. "No, they're unstoppable."

"Is it that bad?"

"Of course, my boy. They're seeking world domination, and they can't afford to fail."

"So what did you see that year?"

"I – I was the one of those hired to kill Neah Walker."

"Kill Neah Walker?"

The old man nodded, turning away from the camera. His jaw quivered slightly, and the tremor of his hands was visible. "I was an assassin for hire, many years ago."

"Wasn't Neah Walker's death an accident? The police autopsy listed his death as being accidental in nature."

"No, we covered it up. When Neah Walker died, Cyril Kamelot managed to hush things up."

"Abuse of official power?"

"Always," the man said. "That's how they do things."

"So what did the Noahs tell you?"

"We – there were four of us altogether – we were told to assemble at a place known to us all. Then a van came up and drove us to an abandoned farm outside the city of N– , and then we met this man. He called himself Mr Millennium. I can still remember him."

"How did he look like, this Mr Millennium?"

The old man turned his face back to the camera. "He was huge. Not ordinarily obese, no; he was more than obese. He sat us down, and he had this big, creepy grin, and I knew something was wrong. It wasn't no normal case where a mafia lord wanted someone hushed up ... it was something more. I felt it in my bones."

"Why didn't you leave?"

"Leave?" the man's lips curved slightly into a painful grimace. "There was no way to leave if I wanted to stay alive. They had guards all over, all armed. And those guards, they were terrifying!"

"How terrifying?"

"I don't know, they didn't seem human. They seemed to be demons brought straight out of the pits of hell. They looked like demons too." The man crossed himself.

"Were they?"

"I don't know! I still have nightmares now..."

There was a long silence after that. The old man looked away from the camera again, and remained still for some time.

"And then?" the interviewer prompted. "What happened?"

"We were told where Neah Walker lived. So we went and finished him." The man shook his head. "I'm sorry I ever took up this assignment."

"Why?"

"Killing is senseless, I see that now. But more than that... after we killed him, I felt very strongly that we had done something we shouldn't have. I mean, I knew murder was wrong, but I'd never felt it so strongly until that day."

"Like killing a mockingbird."

"Yes, yes, that's what it was. I don't know why, though."

"They say that Neah Walker was a lost sheep, who finally left the Millennium Earl's fold."

"It might be that," the old man said, rubbing at the white stubble on his chin. "Maybe that's why I felt so bad after killing him."

"This happens to the best of us," the interviewer said in a soothing tone. "What happened to your colleagues?"

"Two of them were killed by Neah Walker. The other surviving colleague... he was killed by the Noahs some years later when he talked about the killing. The thing is, he was drunk when he blabbed... it wasn't right, his death."

"The Noahs are bloodthirsty," the interviewer agreed.

The old man turned to face the camera again. There was pain in his watery blue eyes. "They're more than bloodthirsty. They're monsters! That's why... that's why I agreed to this interview. I don't have many years left. They might kill me, but I've found God. Now, I just want to atone. For my sins."

"We will try to bring them to justice," the interviewer said. "Some of our associates are already working on wrecking the Earl's latest plan."

"That's good, that's good..."

The screen went black.

"Whew," Daisya said. "That was some heavy stuff."

"Fucking Earl," Kanda said.

"Here, here, Kanda," Lavi said, placing an arm on Kanda's shoulder. "Calm down, man. We have more videos to go through."

"It was brave of him to speak out," Lenalee said. "Especially since he knows the consequences."

"Yeah," Daisya agreed. He clicked on another icon.

A new document popped up on Daisya's screen. It was littered with figures and columns.

"What does it say?" Lenalee asked.

Lavi and Daisya mumbled under their breaths, consulting each other every now and then.

After ten minutes, Lavi spoke. "This is a record, of sorts, of the flow of money in and out of the Noahs bank accounts. It's rather suspicious, though at first blush it appears rather clean and overboard."

"Anything that can be used to prosecute them?" Lenalee asked.

"I don't know, Lena," Lavi said. "We need expert help with these figures. There's a good possibility that there's something fishy, though."

"I have an accountant friend who can help us with this," Daisya said.

"Who?" Lavi asked.

"Suman Dark."

"I've heard of him before," Kanda said. "Who the shit is he?"

"He's a friend of mine," Daisya said. "Marie and Tiedoll know him too. He's a good guy, you can trust him. I'll send this to him after we're done with this."

"Next," Kanda said.

"Impatient boy," Daisya said, making clicking sounds with his tongue. "Let's see..."

Daisya opened another document. "This one's on Tyki Mikk's background."

"We don't really need Mikk's data," Lavi said.

"How's this?" Daisya asked, opening another document. "Lulu Bell."

"She's a nasty one, from what I've heard of her," Lavi said.

"It says here that she's never been found to be connected to any crime. Totally clean record, this woman."

"Never been suspected of anything?" Lavi asked.

"Well, the investigator did find something here... we could potentially draw links to some suspicious disappearances."

"Sounds like her line of work," Lavi said. "How many more pieces of data are there?"

"Many. We've gotten information on all the Noahs."

"The Earl?" Kanda asked.

"Nope," Daisya said. He shook his head regretfully. "There's nothing to be found."

"What's this?" Lavi asked, pointing to an icon titled "Suspicious Movements, Noahs".

The document turned out to contain a list of the Noahs interactions with suspicious persons.

"Look here," Kanda said, pointing to the screen.

Lenalee read it aloud for their benefit. "Suspect A– admitted that he was hired to kill B–, who was suspected to be involved in the murder of one Neah Walker. Suspect A claimed that one Skinn Bolic hired him to do away with B– because the latter blabbed that he was involved in the death of Neah Walker. When the police apprehended Skinn Bolic, they later let him off for this suspected involvement in murder because he gave them information necessary to destroy a drug ring the police had been trying to crack for years."

"Corruption," Daisya said.

"This is it!" Lavi said, grinning. "We've got what we need to nail them."

:::

"How're things going?"

"Tyki? You're up early," Allen said, sipping at her Earl Grey.

"Give me a cup of that."

"I'm pretty sure you won't like it."

"Give it to me."

Allen obliged and poured Tyki a cupful of the Earl Grey tea in her kettle. "Honey, lemon or milk?"

"All?"

"I know that you're a caffeine addict, but I never knew that your addiction was this bad. Have you never had tea before?"

"Perhaps I might have, a couple times. Why?"

"No one adds all these into their tea at one go," Allen said despairingly.

"I'll be the first one then," Tyki said, pulling the cup over. He added honey, milk and a slice of lemon into his cup.

"It won't taste nice," Allen warned.

Tyki shrugged. "I won't know till I try it."

'How is it?"

"It's kind of strange. But also nice. Weird."

"You're weird, too."

"So..."

"Why are you up so early?"

"I wanted to check on you," Tyki said. "Make sure you're okay and all that jazz."

"I'm fine, Tyki. Not about to kill myself any time soon."

"Just checking," Tyki said. "The big event – it's tomorrow. Are you prepared?"

'I'd be lying if I said yes. But – but I think this is the most prepared I'll ever be. After all, how can one ever be prepared for something like this?"

"True."

"I'm as prepared as I could ever possibly be. I think." Allen smiled and sipped again at her tea.

'Is this why you're drinking tea? Calming your nerves?"

"No... I'm fully aware of the fact that I mightn't be alive two days from now, once the Earl discovers I set out to botch his plan from the word go."

"You'll be fine," Tyki said. "I won't let the Earl harm you."

"Let's run away after tomorrow."

"Run away?"

"Flee from the arms of the Earl. From the Noahs. To safety."

"I – I," Tyki said. "I couldn't."

"You can," Allen said. "Do you truly enjoy life here? Life as a Noah?"

"Yes, I – I – of course I do."

Allen saw the hesitation in his eyes. "I'm not asking you to decide now, Tyki. If you feel like you want to leave with me tomorrow, then by all means do so. If you choose to stay here, I won't blame you."

"Alright," Tyki said. "I'll think about it."

"See you."

"All the best for tomorrow. I'll be rooting for you!"

:::

"Ready?" Lavi asked.

"Yep, we've sent all the information to the relevant places," Daisya said. "Suman has helped me to decode the financial stuff. I've sent on all the things."

"Good, good."

"And I've packed," Lenalee said. "We can move anytime."

"Me too," Kanda said.

"Good," Lavi said. "We're ready for tomorrow!"

:::

Tyki clasped his hands behind his head and paced around his office. His suit was bothering him; most days, it hung well on him. Today, however, it seemed to cling tight to every part of him, and his tie lay too snugly against his neck. Frustrated, Tyki reached out to loosen the offending article of clothing, before reaching down to unbutton his blazer.

Allen's words rang in his mind. He couldn't get those words out of his head – they echoed in his thoughts and pulled his attention away from business matters. His secretary had been reduced to tears by his short temper – that was a whole new level of crankiness he had reached.

Should he leave with Allen? He would think through this issue methodically.

What were the reasons for leaving?

For one, leaving with Allen meant that he could protect her along the way. She knew how to use firearms, but he was by far the expert. With him around, Allen was less likely to get killed.

And all he had today – all he had today was due to Allen. If she had not dissuaded him from giving up at a time when he was swamped with depression and mired in drug abuse – he would never have been able to reclaim his positions among the Noahs. At that time, when she helped him become a person again, he'd been looked down on by the other Noahs (with the exception of Rhode). Those days were not ones he cared to relive again, so he seldom thought about them, but now – he could see that he owed Allen a great personal debt.

Moreover, he wasn't sure that he really cared to live as a Noah for much longer. Of course, he enjoyed the attendant luxuries – but if he were really to look deep into his heart, he knew that he was growing tired of the decadence they enjoyed.

To go back to being Tyki – not Mr Mikk – to step again on the rough streets with his poor, mining friends – that was life as it should be lived. That was where friendship and happiness truly existed.

On the other hand, however, if he left, Cyril would be angry. He would be separated from his only kin in the world. He would miss Rhode too, when it came to that. But was family a good reason to forsake justice? Tyki had never really concerned himself with justice; that was beneath him as a Noah.

Now, however, stuck in his dilemma, he could imagine the horrified expressions on the faces of the dying men and women who would soon be struck down by the cruel machinations of the Earl. He saw in his mind's eye the many children killed in the bloom of their youths – and some of their blood was on his hands.

"I will go," he said. 'I will go. I cannot stay any longer, like this."

:::

Allen got up early.

She paced slowly about one of the gardens within the Noah mansion, her hands clenched tight about her. There was a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, something that made her feel nauseous. There would be many deaths today, though perhaps not as much as there might be, had she not changed the plan.

The morning was very quiet, very still. The morning glories were starting to bloom, but the other plants slept still, and the fading stars danced across the dim sky. Few people were awake at dawn. Even in all this stillness, however, Allen could sense something old, something wicked, something that seemed to stir beneath the calm earth.

"And yet, unless my senses deceive me, the old centuries had, and have, powers of their own _which mere_** "**_modernity_**" **_cannot kill_," she said.

"Dracula."

"Tyki," Allen said, turning around. 'Up early again, I see."

"I came to tell you something. That was a quote from Dracula, wasn't it?"

"Yes. That's how I feel now – that there's some evil here, which the old centuries have failed to stamp out. And this evil now sleeps fitfully in its hidden lair below this mansion."

'I feel that way sometimes too," Tyki said. "Anyway, I came here to tell you that I'll help you."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning you'll leave first today. Once you type in the finishing commands, just leave, okay? Don't look back, don't check to see if you got it right – just go."

"What about you?"

"I'll stay here. Pretend to be angry with you for betraying us. Then I'll volunteer to search for you, to bring you back here to be punished. Then I'll drive off to look for you – but I'll protect you as much as I can."

"You don't have to do this, Tyki. I know you love your life here."

"No, Allen, I have to do this. I'm doing this for myself as much as I'm doing this for you."

Allen nodded. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. What are friends for, after all?" he said. "And don't drive the car we gave you."

"Pardon?"

"Hire a car from one of those car rental companies. Keep changing the cars you drive as you get out of here."

Allen nodded.

"And don't use your credit cards. Or cash cards." Tyki reached behind him, passing over a small purse. "Here. There're notes inside, for you to use. And a few untraceable cash cards as well. And a new cell phone, with a new number. It's a prepaid card, so there's no worry."

"I didn't think of these," Allen said. "Thank you so, so much, Tyki. I owe you too much."

"I owe you more, for saving me that time."

"I didn't save me."

"Your friendship did, amiga."

Allen nodded again, tears forming in her eyes.

"Don't cry," Tyki said. "I hope all will go well later today."

"Everything will go well," Allen said, smiling through her tears.

"Be safe."

"You too, Tyki."

"I'll see you again, amiga."

Tyki pressed Allen's hands, then walked off, his tailcoat fluttering slightly in the morning breeze.

:::

Lenalee, Lavi, Daisya and Kanda got up at dawn.

They sat in the dim morning light, trying to eat but failing quite miserably.

"Urgh," Lavi said. "I can't wait for today to be over!"

"There's still a long road we have to take after this," Lenalee said.

"I know, Lena, but I hate not knowing. Not knowing if we'll succeed."

"Our plans are good," Daisya said.

"But there's no telling if we'll succeed," Lavi said, putting his hands over his face.

"Dramatic idiot."

"Thanks, Yu," Lavi said. "Nice to see you don't feel the pressure."

Kanda looked livid. His hands clenched around his cup. "Don't fucking make it seem like I don't care."

"We're all bad-tempered today," Lenalee said. "Calm down, guys."

"I need to go soon," Daisya said.

"Thanks, Daisya," Lenalee said. "We owe you a lot."

"It was no problem at all. See you, guys! And remember, if you ever need a place to hide, my home is open to you."

"Thanks, bro," Lavi said.

"Bye," Kanda said, clasping Daisya's hands in an unprecedented show of affection and gratitude.

"Wow," Daisya said, trying hard not to tear. "Well. Good luck. I'll be waiting to hear the news. Call me from a pay phone or something, okay? We've gotta be careful from now on."

Daisya left soon after.

"This place seems so empty now," Lavi said.

The three of them stood at the door watching Daisya's car speed back to civilisation.

"Allen will be here with us soon," Lenalee said.

"She'd better be," Kanda said.

"We'd better be going soon, too," Lavi said. "You ready, Lena? Kanda?"

Lenalee and Kanda nodded.

"Okay then," Lavi said. "Let's go."

The three of them took a short walk to the nearby town. They stopped in front of the largest hotel, where Lenalee booked a room and checked in with the baby. At the room door, Lenalee hugged Kanda and kissed Lavi. They handed her one of the pistols Daisya had given them.

"Goodbye," she said.

"We'll come get you once we get back to the house with Allen," Lavi said. "Stay safe."

"I will, I will. You stay safe too."

Now only Lavi and Kanda were left. Each armed with a gun, they made their way to the busiest car rental shop in town and hired themselves a car under a fake identity.

"This is the life!" Lavi said half an hour later, as he steered the car down the bumpy country roads. The windows had been wound down, and a light breeze ruffled their hair. "This is the life!"

"Stop shouting like an idiot."

"Don't be such a downer, Yu!"

Kanda tried not to strangle Lavi. "We're trying to save someone!"

"I know, I know. We're not coasting around for fun, yada yada. But hey, it's a bright and sunny day, and we've got some hours before we reach Allen! Chill!"

Kanda turned his head the other way and did not condescend to speak to the idiot driving the car.

* * *

AN: How was this? Things are finally drawing to a close (: I'm currently halfway through writing the next chapter, and it's actually quite fun seeing how things piece themselves together.

So – I hope you enjoyed reading this! All reviews/comments/suggestions would be appreciated (:


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I do not own DGM!

* * *

Allen took a deep breath and sat down at her desk. She had fifteen minutes left till she was supposed to type in the final commands that would cause a rather large number of people to die. She felt horror and repulsion course through her veins – such an act of killing was in no way pardonable.

She would never be able to forgive herself, no matter what. It was immaterial that she would thus be saving ninety-nine per cent of the original estimated number of people who were supposed to die. The important thing was that she was about to cold-bloodedly bring about the deaths of the unfortunate one per cent, whoever they were. Allen's heart bled as she thought of the orphans, widows, widowers and lonely parents who would be left behind today.

She spent the next fifteen minutes watching the clock. The clock's hands moved steadily, with precision, and all was silent. She had dismissed her staff today – she told them they were not needed and could go on a much needed break.

Meanwhile, the Earl was possibly sitting at his desk in the Noah mansion, waiting for her to call with good news, waiting for mayhem to arise, waiting for the death toll to rise.

"Bastard," she said, and knew it was true.

Though taken aback by her own hitherto undiscovered vehemence, she realised that she had struck the nail on the head with this description of the Earl. He was a bastard; he was a villain beyond redemption. So many lives had been lost, would be lost, by his desire for dominance and power. Today – today his hopes would be dashed.

Then the timer rang. It was time.

Her face blank, Allen reached out and typed out the commands. Without bothering to see if these commands had been correctly entered or were being executed at all, Allen rose from her seat and grabbed her coat, heading to the inconspicuous black car that sat some blocks away, which she had bought second-hand off a rather shady dealer earlier that morning.

As she crossed the street, a blue car came screeching to a halt next to her. Fearful, she ran for her car without so much as looking at the people inside the car that had stopped. She heard a door open, and then hard footfalls followed her past empty shophouses.

Her own heart pounding, she wrenched her car door open, but found a strong hand on her shoulder before she managed to slip into the car.

"Wait," someone said. The voice was familiar.

Allen looked up into the inky eyes of one Kanda Yu.

"Kanda! What are you doing here?"

"No time to explain. Here's our address. Drive straight there, we'll be behind you."

Allen nodded.

"Go!" Kanda said, and sprinted back to Lavi's car.

Allen turned the ignition key and glanced at the address on the slip of paper Kanda had handed her. After making sure that none of the Noahs' minions were present, she reversed and drove toward her new destination.

Once she got on the highway, she noticed a blue car following her. Shocked, she contemplated driving off onto one of the smaller roads branching off the highway, but realised that the man in the passenger seat had long, flowing hair, and that the driver had rather conspicuous red hair.

Allen put her hand out her window and waved, and the people in the car behind greeted her with a blaring of their car's horn.

After close to three hours of driving, the two cars pulled into a small driveway and found themselves within a heavily fenced enclosure of sorts. Allen parked her car beside the porch, and watched as Kanda got out from Lavi's car. Lavi's car then did a complete turn and left the same way it had entered.

Meanwhile, Kanda walked up to Allen's car.

"Come out," he said.

Allen suddenly felt rather reluctant to leave her position of relative safety. What did Kanda want with her, exactly? Would he slap her because he was angry at being kept in the dark, at being somewhat betrayed? Would he embrace her because he was all too glad to see her? The thought of causing many deaths – which she had kept at bay throughout the journey to this house – also returned.

Allen felt nauseous.

"You look pale," Kanda said. "Get out. I'll show you to your room."

Allen shakily exited her car.

"Where's your luggage?" Kanda asked.

"Didn't bring it."

Kanda shrugged, and moved to lead Allen to her new bedroom. He showed her to a tidy little room before disappearing.

Allen sank down onto the bed, exhausted beyond measure. Her thoughts were all jumbled up, and she could feel a headache coming on. With a sigh, she allowed her body to flop onto the mattress, then sat up quickly when she heard footsteps.

"Here" Kanda said. "Take this."

Allen took the black shirt he held out. "What is this for?"

"You didn't bring a change of clothes, so you can wear this first."

"Oh. Thanks," Allen said, and fought back the hot tears until Kanda shut the door behind him.

:::

"Where is she?" Lenalee asked, after she had managed to placate the baby and lull it back to sleep.

"At the house," Lavi said. He was sitting in the easy chair in the hotel room.

"Are we leaving?"

"Not yet, Lena. Let's give them some alone time."

"Just as well. They need it."

"We need some alone time too."

Lenalee laughed. "We have enough alone time at night!"

"No, we don't," Lavi said. "Speaking of which, you haven't had a single nightmare since you came here."

"A change of air indeed does wonders."

"Hmmm."

"I think," Lenalee said, "I think it's because I've been too worried about Allen, about you, about Kanda, about the world."

Lavi stood up and went over to his wife, taking her into his arms. "You poor, dear soul."

The Bookmans stayed at the hotel for a few more hours, returning only at night. When their car entered the gate, they saw that the house was mostly dark, with only one light burning bright in the kitchen.

"Looks like they're really enjoying their alone time," Lenalee said, smiling.

Her smile disappeared, however, when she entered the kitchen and found Kanda sitting alone at the table, sipping away at something in a cup.

"Where's Allen?" she asked.

"In her room" Kanda said morosely.

"Eh?" Lavi said, coming in behind Lenalee. "Didn't you two talk?"

"No, she's been sleeping ever since we got back here."

Lavi and Lenalee exchanged a worried glance.

"Is she okay?" Lenalee asked.

"Probably just tired," Kanda said, though he didn't look as though he believed his words.

"Just let her sleep," Lavi said. "If she's not down by morning, then we'll have to go up and check on her."

:::

"We've been betrayed," Lulu Bell said, her icy stare reaching across the room. This stare, incidentally, was directed toward Tyki.

"You don't say," Tyki said, a cigarette in his hands.

"Please don't smoke in here, Tyki," the Earl said. "Do we know who betrayed us?"

"No," Cyril said.

"Anyone wants to own up?" the Earl asked. "Or wants to tell us who might have done it?"

"I can't believe Allen just left like that," Rhode said, a trifle disconsolate.

"She's a minx," Lulu Bell said. There was bitterness in her voice.

"That's not the correct word," Tyki said, watching his cigarette swing like a pendulum.

"Now's not the time to talk to me about words!" Lulu Bell shot back, her eyes blazing.

"Don't fight," Cyril said. "Calm down, Lulu, and Tyki, stop baiting her."

"We're all grumpy now," Wisely said, smiling slightly.

"Of course we are!" Lulu Bell said, her voice cold. "Our future, our dreams – everything's at stake."

"At least some deaths did occur," the Earl said. "But not enough, not enough. We need to think of a new plan now, my good Noahs, instead of crying over spilt milk."

"I agree," Tyki said.

"I didn't think Allen Walker would betray us," the Earl said. "I thought wrong."

"Neah Walker betrayed us too," Rhode said. She seemed sad.

"I will not forget the Walkers' betrayal so easily," the Earl said.

"If it would appease you," Tyki said, now studying his coffee cup (having finished with the cigarette), "I will hunt her down."

"You? Hunt Allen Walker?" Lulu Bell's tone dripped with sarcasm.

"Yes, me," Tyki said smoothly, choosing not to meet his sister's eyes.

"I will hold you accountable for what you've said, my dear Tyki," the Earl said. "Bring her back."

"I will set out tomorrow."

"Can I go too?" Rhode asked.

"No," Tyki said.

The Earl shook his head. "No, dear Rhode. Stay at home and help me bear my grief."

Rhode pouted but did not protest.

"That's all for today," the Earl said, standing. "I'm rather tired."

"Where're you going, Master Millennium?" Rhode asked.

"To bed," the Earl said. "To sleep away my burdens."

But Lulu Bell and Rhode knew that the Earl did not go straight to his bedroom; he went, instead, to a room deep within the mansion, a room that had been locked up for years. This room was haunted with ghosts and questions – this was the room where the Earl's wife had died, the room which had then been given to Neah Walker upon his arrival.

:::

Tyki set out early the next day. He packed everything that was dear to him, and put it into a small rucksack. He was leaving for good today, so he allowed himself to be sentimental about the luxuries he was now leaving behind.

He surveyed himself in the mirror. He was too good-looking to be unrecognisable, but if he left the hair on his upper lip alone it would grow into a respectable moustache, and perhaps that would leave him quite invisible among the street rats and beggars in all their unshaved glory.

Bending over his dressing table, he grabbed a pen and scribbled a note on some scented paper.

_Dear Earl_, he wrote, _I will be on the hunting path by the time you see this. Wish me luck in hunting down one of my best friends. _

That would do, he thought, setting the pen down and reading through his words. That would do; it would satisfy the Earl for a few days until the Earl realised that Tyki had either gotten into trouble, or had also betrayed the Noahs.

Tyki took a last look at his room, then left the house under the shadows of dawn. No one saw him leave, not even the servants who were already preparing for a new day. He got into his car and drove out the magnificent front gate for what was perhaps the last time, and then headed south to find a place to dump his car.

:::

"Master," Lulu Bell said at breakfast, "Tyki's missing."

"He's left," Rhode said, holding out a slip of paper. "I found this stuck on his door."

"He's gone on the chase," the Earl said, allowing himself a half-smile. "I hope he finds Allen Walker soon."

"He won't find her soon," Wisely said, buttering his toast vigorously. "Remember how long it took to find Neah Walker then?"

The Earl's expression hardened slightly, and only Rhode saw it. "He will find her, regardless."

Just then, the doors leading into the dining room swung open, and in walked Cyril Kamelot, already dressed in his suit. His face was grim, and he held some newspapers in his hands.

"Down for breakfast today, Daddy?" Rhode asked.

"Not really," Cyril said. He looked at the Earl. "I have bad news."

"What is it?" the Earl asked.

Cyril said nothing but laid the newspapers in front of the Earl.

The Earl looked, and remained silent too.

"What is it?" Devitto asked, curiosity washing over him. 'Is it Tyki?"

"Is Tyki dead?" Jasdero asked, also excited.

"No, you idiots!" Cyril snapped.

Lulu Bell got up to read the headlines. "These are tabloids," she said. "Where did you get them, Cyril?"

"One of my aides had them delivered here."

"This is bad," the Earl said.

"What is it?" Wisely asked, now applying himself to his breakfast.

"These tabloids have printed front-page articles accusing us of planning yesterday's deaths," Lulu Bell said.

"They finally got something right," Wisely said.

"Shut up if you know nothing, Wisely," Cyril said. "This is an administrative headache! A public relations headache!"

"There's no use crying over spilt milk," the Earl said. "Cyril and Lulu, see to this issue. If only the tabloids are involved, then just pay them. Get them to publish an apology."

"It's not just the tabloids," Cyril said, looking despondent. "One of the major newspapers is carrying the story too!"

The Earl frowned. "Anything else?"

"My aides are doing an online sweep now," Cyril said. "It's very possible that this story was disseminated on the web as well.

The Earl nodded. "Settle the tabloids and newspapers first."

"It will be hard to contain the online sources," Lulu Bell said. "We could play hardball with them."

"How so?" Wisely asked.

"She means we'll hire computer experts to hack those websites, eh, Lulu?" Cyril said.

Lulu Bell nodded. "That's right."

"That sounds like a plan," the Earl said. "Report to me again tonight."

Cyril and Lulu Bell nodded. It would be a whole hell of a week until this issue was solved. They would now have to write an explanation as well as rebut the story. There was also the possibility that they might be forsaken by their business partners until the furore died down. Whatever the case, the Noahs had survived through many such crises before, and they were mostly sure that they could survive again this time round.

:::

Kanda and Lenalee sat in the kitchen, trying to eat breakfast. Lavi had gone out some time earlier to go into the village. The silence between them was not awkward – they had, in their many years of friendship, gotten used to it – but filled with some strange tension.

"I wonder if she's alright," Lenalee said, stirring her ovaltine without any apparent intention of drinking it.

"She'll be fine," Kanda said, though the assurance and confidence so often heard in his voice seemed rather subdued today. "And it's only seven now. You know she has the tendency to get up later than this."

"Yeah," Lenalee said, smiling weakly.

Both of them then heard the sound of running – someone was running down the pathway to the porch.

"What's it?" Lenalee asked. She got up from the table.

Kanda was quicker – he reached the kitchen door before her. He pulled his gun out. "Stay back, Lenalee."

The person who rounded the corner into the kitchen, however, was no enemy.

"Put – put down the gun, Kanda," Lavi said. He was trying to catch his breath.

"What is it this time?" Kanda asked.

"This," Lavi said, and waved a bundle of newspapers at Kanda.

"You bought so many newspapers?" Lenalee asked.

"Don't look so disapproving, Lena dearest! All these papers have something which might interest the two of you."

Lavi spread the newspapers on the kitchen table. "They're mostly tabloids, but at least one major newspaper printed our story."

"That's great!" Lenalee said, pulling the nearest tabloid over. The headliners, printed in a ghastly font, screamed 'Noah Enterprises Involved in Yesterday's Deaths'.

"It's good," Lavi agreed, "but it's only the beginning. Now we need to get Allen down so she can join us in discussing our next step."

"She's still asleep," Lenalee said.

"She can't still be sleeping," Lavi said. "I think you should go check on her."

Kanda rose.

"Not you," Lavi said. He looked at Lenalee.

"Alright," she said, and made for Allen's room.

Lenalee knocked on the door. "Allen? Are you awake?"

There was no sound from behind the door. Lenalee frowned. She knocked again. "Allen? Let me in, please?"

There was a soft noise from behind the door. Allen was probably awake, but unwilling to meet her friends. Lenalee rapped on the door again.

"I'll stand out here till you let me in," she said.

There was silence again, then a soft shuffling. Soon, the door opened, revealing a bleary-eyed Allen.

"Good morning," Lenalee said, smiling brightly. "Won't you come down to breakfast?"

"It's too early," Allen said, her eyes suspiciously puffy. "I still want to sleep."

"Allen, Allen," Lenalee said. She inched her way into the room and shut the door behind her. "Dear Allen, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Allen said, rubbing at her nose.

"Don't lie to me, Allen! We're friends, remember? Friends share burdens."

"I'm not ly–"

"I can see your eyebags, Allen, and your nose and eyes are quite red. You haven't actually slept much, and you've been crying. What's wrong?"

Allen shook her head.

Lenalee went over and took Allen's hands in hers. "Tell me. Is it Kanda?"

"No, it's got nothing to do with him."

"Then what is it all about? Don't tell me you miss the Noahs?"

"No. It's just that – just that I feel so relieved that the Noahs haven't caught me yet, that I'm still very much alive."

"That's a normal feeling; you don't have to be upset over it!"

"But then I think of those who died yesterday – because of me. What right do I have to live? I'm a murderess!"

Lenalee hugged Allen. "Don't cry, don't cry."

"I'm not crying," Allen said. "I exhausted my tears some time ago."

"It's not your fault," Lenalee said. "You were trying to save many other lives. Lavi told me. It's a brave thing you did. Though it was wrong, it was the lesser of two evils."

"I can't quite think of things this way," Allen said, moving away from Lenalee toward the window. She peered out. "All I've thought of – this last night – all I've thought about is the pain and anguish of those who died."

Lenalee sighed. "Allen –"

"I'm alright, really. I just need to get a grip on myself."

"I–""

"Lenalee," Allen said, trying to smile, "I'll be fine. I'll come down later when I'm feeling better."

Lenalee recognised this polite dismissal. "Alright. Just call us if you need anything. We'll be downstairs!"

Allen nodded.

Lenalee left the room, feeling like an interloper that snuck unawares and unwelcome into someone's thoughts. She went down the stairs into the kitchen.

"Well?" Kanda asked when he saw her.

"She didn't want to speak," Lenalee said. She sat down on a chair. "Somehow I got the feeling that she didn't really want to talk to me."

"I'll go," Lavi said. "Maybe she'll talk to me."

"No," Kanda said.

Lavi looked at Kanda, surprised. "Pardon?"

"I'll go," Kanda said, in a tone that brooked no opposition.

Kanda climbed up the steps and rapped on Allen's door. When there was no response, he pushed the door open and went in.

"Lenalee, I –" Allen hesitated when she saw Kanda.

"Beansprout," Kanda said, shutting the door with his foot. "The hell you think you're doing?"

"What do you mean?" Allen asked in a colourless voice. She looked away from Kanda, steadily tapping her fingers on her thighs in time to a mysterious rhythm.

"Don't act like you don't know."

"Know what?"

"I want to know why you left. What you feel now."

"Why do you think I will tell you?"

"Why not?"

"Why should I?"

Kanda felt angry, indignant, used – he's risked so many things to protect this one girl, and now she was behaving like an almost-shrew. He simmered, but noticed the quivering of Allen's jawline. He sensed that she was on the verge of tears. His instincts told him to swallow his pride, and swallow his pride he did, though it was one of the most difficult things he had ever done, to be sure.

With steady steps, Kanda crossed the room and put his arms around Allen. Allen neither responded enthusiastically nor pushed Kanda away. Neither of them spoke for a long while.

When Kanda finally broke the silence, it was only to ask Allen if she was hungry. She nodded.

"I'll get some food for you," he said.

When he brought the food up, Allen was sitting at the desk, waiting. The tell-tale streaks along her face had vanished by this point, wiped away with the help of a bundle of tissue paper.

"Thank you," she said, reaching out for some toast. "Why are you being so nice?"

"What do you mean?"

Allen finished the toast quickly and used the fork to spear some bits of bacon. "You – the old you would have shaken me and demanded to _know_."

"Know what?"

"Know what? The old you would have demanded to know why I left, why I decided not to go along with the Earl's plan, why I –" Allen stopped abruptly and finished the bacon. "The old you would not have simply hugged me."

Kanda shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"No, it doesn't," Allen admitted. "But it's sweet."

"Sweet!" Kanda repeated with much distaste.

"I can't quite imagine you being sweet, but it's a close enough word."

"Che."

"Have some tea?"

"No way. It's damned disgustingly sweet!"

Allen smiled. "Thank you."

"For not drinking your tea?"

"No, Allen said. "For understanding. For not probing."

"I'll trust you this once," Kanda said. "You'll have to tell me everything once this – this shit is over."

"I will."

"Good."

"What now, then?"

"You're done eating?" Kanda asked. "Lavi wants to call a meeting."

"What about?"

"About how to proceed from here."

"I'll go down once I've taken a bath," Allen said.

:::

It was lunch time when Allen went down. She walked into the sitting room, surprising Lenalee who was sitting in an easy chair, doing some fancy work.

Allen sat down beside Lenalee. "What's that for?"

"Oh, Allen! You're down! I'm so glad to see you looking better. This is for my shop – when we get back."

"I see. I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"For forcing you guys to leave."

"You didn't force us to leave. We wanted to leave, we wanted to help you."

"Thank you," Allen said. "Where are Lavi and Kanda?"

"They're getting lunch."

"Lavi can cook?"

"Well, not really. But he wanted to help Kanda."

"That's strange."

"He wanted some male bonding time, I guess. Or perhaps he wanted to find out how Kanda got you to agree to come down."

"That's more likely."

"To be honest," Lenalee said, pausing her work, "I'm pretty curious too."

"Kanda seems to have changed," Allen said. "He seems less angry now and more understanding now. It's like he's suddenly more empathetic."

"Yeah, that's what I think too! It's strange. I never did think he would change for the better."

Allen smiled.

"It's you," Lenalee continued. "Your good influence, and his love for you."

"Maybe," Allen said.

"It is so," Lenalee said. "No need to be shy, Allen!"

Allen started to protest, but her words were cut off by shouting from the kitchen.

"Those boys," Lenalee said.

"Should we go check?"

"No," Lenalee said. "They're both capable of taking care of themselves, don't you think?"

"I was worrying more about lunch," Allen said.

Lenalee laughed. "Lunch will probably be fine too!"

"I hope it will," Allen said. "I'm hungry."

"So am I," Lavi said, popping his head into the room. "Do you want to save me from Yu's clutches, Allen?"

"What did I tell you about calling me Yu?" Kanda shouted from the kitchen.

Lenalee winced. "The baby is sleeping!"

"Sorry," Lavi said, pulling his head out of the room. "I'll apologize, I guess."

"You do that," Lenalee said, and turned to Allen. "I'm so glad you feel like eating now! We were so worried last night."

"I'll be fine," Allen said, though her voice quivered with some uncertainty.

"Lunch time," Lavi said, coming into the room again. "Should I serve it here, or will the beautiful ladies walk to the kitchen? Please just walk. I'm ravenous!"

Allen and Lenalee laughed and followed Lavi into the kitchen, where Kanda was busy serving out the food.

"Smells good," Lenalee said.

"Mmm," Allen said. "I hope there're seconds!"

"There's enough," Kanda said.

"Yu made a whole pot for you," Lavi said. "Especially for you."

"Are you jealous?" Allen asked.

"But of course!"

"Shut up, you idiot," Kanda said. "Stop blabbering."

"He's always like this," Lavi said, pouting.

"Just eat, idiot."

"So," Lavi said, amidst all the swallowing of food, "what are we going to do now? How should we proceed?"

"What have you done so far, then?" Allen asked.

"We've sent some documents to the supreme court judges' offices. This is sure to get them to take notice."

"Really, Lavi?"

"I'm sorry we didn't ask you about it," Lenalee said. "But there just wasn't enough time."

"How did you manage to get hold of these documents?"

"Daisya got them for us," Kanda said.

"I see," Allen said. "So all we can do now is wait."

"Well..." Lavi said. "That's true..."

"There's something else, though," Lenalee said. She looked at Lavi expectantly.

Lavi looked at Allen in turn. "It's like this, Allen: if this goes to court, which it will in all likelihood, would you be willing to testify? Daisya has agreed to be a witness for the prosecution."

"Testify?" Allen repeated.

Kanda frowned. "Don't make her do it if she doesn't want to."

"But –" Lavi.

"I would," Allen said. "I would."

"Even if it means you end up being prosecuted as well."

"But of course."

"I won't hear of it," Kanda said. "This is damned ridiculous."

"Justice has to be done," Allen said.

"It wasn't your fault," Kanda said.

"It was my doing," Allen said. "There's no doubting that fact. I admit it quite freely."

"Beansprout –"

"No, Kanda," Allen said, "the question here is not whether I'm guilty. The focus is on bringing the Earl and the Noahs to justice."

Kanda fell silent, unsure of what to say. He was rather worried that any further comments of his might aggravate the situation.

"So you will testify?" Lavi asked.

Allen nodded, and Lavi reached across the table to grasp her hands.

"Thank you," he said.

"This is my duty," Allen said, half-smiling.

"So this is settled, then," Lavi said. "All we have to do now is wait."

"That's all we can do," Kanda said. He still seemed rather annoyed.

:::

Tyki drove leisurely down the countryside. A text had arrived from an unknown number that very morning, and Tyki was now following the directions enclosed therein.

It was a cool day, and the sky was overcast. Tyki wanted to laugh at the how surreal the atmosphere was – and did.

It felt odd to laugh this loudly; years of living in the Noah mansion had somehow restricted Tyki's laughter. There was, of course, no unspoken rule that laughter was forbidden, but the environment seemed to discourage too much real laughter.

Tyki glanced out as the car cruised down the road, taking in the fresh air and the soft sunlight. He laughed again and felt truly alive for the first time in a long while.

An hour later, he arrived at his destination, still smiling. The inhabitants of the house, hearing the unfamiliar purr of a car's engine, opened the door.

Lavi Bookman was the first to emerge. He stared suspiciously at the car, gasped when he saw Tyki, and then rushed down the few steps leading off the porch.

Tyki slid out of the car, his usual smirk already on his face.

"Tyki Mikk!" Lavi said.

"Oh hello there, Bookman! I do appreciate your attentions, but I'm sure your pretty lady there doesn't quite like how you've rushed to welcome me."

"Eh?" Lavi said, bemused.

Allen chose this moment to walk down to them. "Tyki," she said, and took his hands in her own. "I'm glad you're safe!"

"But of course, amiga," Tyki said. He raised his thick, black eyebrows. "Did you really think I'd get caught by the others, and then burnt alive as an example of what a Noah should not do?"

"We might reasonably expect that to happen," Lavi said.

"The Noahs' reputation is rather sordid, I see."

"Didn't you know that already, Mikk?" Lavi asked.

"Did anyone follow you?" Kanda asked from where he still stood on the porch.

"I doubt so," Tyki said. "They think I'm hunting for Allen here."

"Can we trust you?" Kanda asked. His tone was not cordial, but it wasn't hostile, either.

"Tyki wouldn't –" Allen said, but Kanda cut her off.

"Answer me, Mikk."

"No one followed me. I came here of my own volition. I have decided," Tyki said, "to renounce that life of easy luxury, much greed and decadent morality."

"I find that hard to believe," Kanda said after a slight pause.

"As you will," Tyki said. "I do not pretend to care for your opinion."

"I'll help you bring your luggage in," Lavi said.

"I don't have much luggage, really," Tyki said. "I left a lot of things behind." He sighed.

"If you miss your luxuries," Kanda said, "then go back."

"No," Tyki said. "I've made my choice and cast my lot with you."

"Okay," Lavi said, "let's go in."

Kanda waited at the door as they went in. He drew Tyki aside as the latter passed him by.

"Yes?" Tyki asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I've something to say to you."

"Something threatening? Something about how much you doubt my motives? If these are what you want to talk to me about, then save your breath, Kanda." Tyki tried to pull his arm away, but Kanda held on to it.

"No," Kanda said. "I wanted – I wanted to ask for your advice."

"Advice!"

"Yes," Kanda said, standing his ground despite the flush of humiliation that ran through him. To think that he had to beg a favour, and from a Noah of all people!

"Coming?" Lavi asked.

"Give me a moment," Tyki said.

"I'll show him to his room," Kanda said.

They did not talk on the way up. When they reached the room, Kanda shut the door and faced Tyki with a dubious expression.

"So, what is it?" Tyki asked, immediately making himself comfortable.

"It's – it's about Lavi's plan."

"You must understand, Kanda Yu, that I know absolutely nothing about Bookman's plan."

"Che. The idiot has sent incriminating evidence to the judges of the highest court."

"And?"

"He says he knows they will call for a trial."

"And you are worried for my safety?"

"The hell, no! Who gives a damn about your safety?"

Tyki smirked. 'I see. So you're worried about Allen."

Kanda nodded. "Lavi wants her to testify."

"I expect I will have to testify too," Tyki said, looking at his fingernails.

"No, that's not my damned point!"

Tyki looked up, a quizzical expression on his face. "You don't want Allen to testify."

"I think she shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"She's affected by the deaths. If she has to testify, she'll be traumatised."

"Hmm" Tyki said. "So you want me to talk to her?"

"Would you?"

"I could."

"Please."

"In that case," Tyki said, smirking again, "I will. I will talk to her about it, I mean. But why don't you ask her yourself?"

"She... doesn't really listen to me."

"She doesn't listen to me either, you know."

"You're her good friend. And... you understand."

"I can't believe I'm actually hearing this from you! Alright, I'll have a little chat with her about this."

"Now."

"Now?" Tyki repeated. "My, you're an anxious one, eh. Fine."

"The sooner it's resolved the better."

"Indeed," Tyki said. "There's nothing quite like the present. Bring her up here?"

Kanda nodded and left the room. Some minutes later, there came a knock on Tyki's door.

"Come in," he said.

Allen came in. "Hey, Tyki."

"Hello there, amiga! Have they been treating you well?"

"But of course," Allen said, smiling. "Kanda told me to come up and make you feel at home."

"I do feel at home."

Allen looked at Tyki, who was sprawled all over the couch in his room. "Yes, I can see that you are."

"Amiga," Tyki said.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure about what you've done, what you're doing?"

Allen blinked, seemingly unsure how to respond. "Uh, yes. I think so."

"Do you really want to testify?"

"Testify? How did you – did Kanda ask you – you –"

"Just answer my question."

"I – I don't really want to, in that sense. But... I need to. Do you understand?"

"I understand that you need to."

"I've come this far," Allen said, taking a seat on the bed. "I think this is the only way forward."

"Perhaps," Tyki said, shrugging elegantly. "I do not know."

"None of us do," Allen said. "We have to make do with what we know now."

"Allen," Tyki said, leaning forward, "you do know, don't you, that you need to be irrevocably sure of this? Otherwise, you will never be able to handle what comes after."

Tyki had never spoken so seriously to Allen before, so this solemn piece of advice surprised her. She nodded.

"I'm glad you understand," Tyki said. "You know the consequences you will have to bear. I think, maybe, you should assure Kanda that you'll be fine in the end."

"I'll talk to him."

"You should," Tyki said. "You definitely should."

"And you?"

"What about me, amiga?"

"Will you – have you truly left the Noahs?"

"Yes."

"You're sure you won't regret it?"

"Sure. Very sure."

"That's good," Allen said. She smiled and stood up. "Get some rest."

:::

"It's been three days since you left," Allen said, "and you haven't contacted them. Won't they start to feel suspicious, Tyki?"

Tyki allowed his spoon to clink gently against the plate. "No, I doubt so."

"Are you sure, Mikk?" Lavi asked.

"I don't usually make it a point to contact the other Noahs when I'm out on a hunt," Tyki said. "Or out doing anything, actually."

"Hmm," Allen said. "So when will they start being suspicious, do you think?"

"I don't know," Tyki said, continuing to fork Brussels sprouts into his mouth. "Give and take a few more days, I'd say."

"I forgot to say," Daisya said, through a mouthful of fish, "that I brought your letters, Lavi."

Daisya had arrived the night before to check on them. Lavi took the letters and leafed through them.

"Has something happened?" Lenalee asked.

Every one stopped eating as of one accord and looked at Lavi. Lavi looked back at them.

"I've got the letter," he said.

"Bad news?" Kanda asked.

"Nope, nope! Guess what, guys! This is a letter from the Supreme Court."

"Trial?" Tyki asked.

"They've fixed the trial date," Lavi said. He smiled, and his hands tap-danced on the tables.

"I thought it usually takes a long time for a case to go on trial," Lenalee said.

"This one is going to take place in a month," Lavi said, "but yes, usually it takes a year or two after the application is submitted for a case to be heard in court. It depends, really. I guess they found this too important to postpone it for too long."

"After all," Allen agreed, "the Earl might well attempt to dispose of the prosecution witnesses in this time."

"He would," Tyki said. He grinned and wiped his mouth with Lavi's napkin. "Without a doubt. Better be careful. Get an army to guard yourself."

"We have you," Allen said, reaching for her friend's hands.

Kanda scowled, but did not try to fight Tyki. Instead, he looked away and grunted. "We need more guns, idiot."

"We'll get them," Lavi said. "We'll fight to the end, believe me!"

"I hope you do," Tyki said. "Survive, I mean. The Earl's vengeance knows no bounds. Just thought you should know."

* * *

AN: I hope you liked this chapter! It was a long time in the making, especially towards the end. Writer's block hit me for a time, and the demands of real life didn't help.

Anyhow, any comments/feedback would be greatly appreciated! (:


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I don't own DGM.

* * *

"_They've fixed the trial date," Lavi said. He smiled, and his hands tap-danced on the tables. _

"_I thought it usually takes a long time for a case to go on trial," Lenalee said. _

"_This one is going to take place in a month," Lavi said, "but yes, usually it takes a year or two after the application is submitted for a case to be heard in court. It depends, really. I guess they found this too important to postpone it for too long."_

"_After all," Allen agreed, "the Earl might well attempt to dispose of the prosecution witnesses in this time."_

"_He would," Tyki said. He grinned and wiped his mouth with Lavi's napkin. "Without a doubt. Better be careful. Get an army to guard yourself."_

"_We have you," Allen said, reaching for her friend's hands. _

_Kanda scowled, but did not try to fight Tyki. Instead, he looked away and grunted. "We need more guns, idiot."_

"_We'll get them," Lavi said. "We'll fight to the end, believe me!"_

"_I hope you do," Tyki said. "Survive, I mean. The Earl's vengeance knows no bounds. Just thought you should know."_

:::

"Mr Kamelot?"

Cyril Kamelot looked up from his laptop, where he was studying Noah Enterprises' monthly accounts. It wasn't easy to manage such a large firm, especially when said large firm was now embroiled in a messy scandal involving murder and politics and world domination. He'd spent the past few days with Lulu Bell, trying to manage the crisis that had swallowed them whole. Today – today he'd finally gotten a little well-deserved peace and now his secretary had some new bad news for him. The world was really too unfair.

"What is it?" Cyril asked, running his right hand through his long hair. He bit his lips, knowing that something was not quite right.

The woman stepped in with a letter. "This letter, sir, I thought you'd better open it yourself."

Cyril took the letter and glanced at the return address. "You're right. Thank you."

The letter had been sent from the Supreme Court. Cyril Kamelot had had precious little to fear in his life – and he was not made for fear. Merely looking at the letter, however, made his insides twist in a way he had never thought possible.

He tore the envelop open with trembling, cold fingers and unfolded the piece of paper inside.

Cyril Kamelot turned a deathly shade of white.

:::

Two mornings later, Allen fingered the newspaper and frowned. "What does this mean?"

"Are you an idiot?" Kanda asked. "Kamelot is trying to bullshit his way out. But I'll bet he can't do it. Who believes what people say in interviews?"

"Some people do," Lavi said. "Some people who aren't quite so discerning. We can't discount that fact."

"They're trying to manage the crisis," Tyki said, stirring his coffee. "That's Cyril's handiwork; I know it when I see it, the crafty old fox."

"Not a very bonded bunch, are you?" Kanda said.

"Nah, that's not true at all. I'm just speaking the plain truth. He likes to give interviews to clear the air. Modus operandi for him."

"Will it affect us?" Lenalee asked.

"Maybe it will affect the public opinion on the case," Lavi said. He ran his fingers through his hair and pushed the bandana backward. "I can't say, really. At least, I hope there won't be any adverse consequences."

"We can't do anything about it," Tyki said. He stood up and brushed imaginary dirt off his shirt. "Chill, amigos."

"We just need to stay safe," Allen said. "For a month."

"Tell you what," Tyki said. 'We need to move around. Not stay in one place."

"You're right. I'll start sourcing for new places," Lavi said.

:::

_A month later_:

"Allen! You're taking an awfully long time to get ready!" Lavi shouted. He rapped on Allen's door.

Tyki put his head out of his room; he was still trying to brush out his unruly curls. "Leave the girl alone, you."

"She's been in there for a while! Too long! We might be late!"

"Calm down, amigo. Are you always like this before hearings? I really hope not – if you are, then you're a really bad litigator, and I might have put my faith in the wrong bunch of people."

"What?"

"Is it too late for me to back out now, and go back to the Earl's side?"

"Mikk! This is no joking matter!"

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Bookman. I was joking, alright?" Tyki withdrew his head.

"That man," Lavi said, and continued rapping on Allen's door, almost falling into the room when Lenalee wrenched the door open.

"Will you stop it?" Lenalee asked. "Give Allen a break."

"What are you talking about? I'm just here to tell her that she's been taking too long to change and we're gonna be late if we don't leave soon."

Lenalee shifted slightly in the doorway, her crossed arms now falling to her sides.

"Wait," Lavi said, craning his neck. "Is she crying?"

"Yes. She's rather unnerved."

Lavi looked at Lenalee's expression, frowned, then walked in and sat beside Allen on the bed.

"You okay?" he asked.

Allen looked up, grey shadows dancing across her face. The rims of her eyes were red. "I'm okay. Just trying to ... steel myself."

"It's a scary experience, being on the stand. I won't deny it. Some people end up breaking down. If you feel you can't testify, then don't force yourself, alright?"

"Lavi's right," Lenalee said, giving Allen a hug from the side.

"I know. I know, but I need to be there," Allen said. She gently nudged Lenalee's arms away, swiping gently at her eyes as she did so. "I'm ready to go."

"Okay," Lavi said. "Lena?"

"I'm good."

"Mikk," Lavi called, walking out of Allen's room. "Get your vain ass out. We're leaving."

"So fast?" Tyki asked. He appeared at the doorway, pulling at the sides of his blazer. "Do I look good?"

"You always do," Lavi said. "Wait, forget I said that."

"Ah," Tyki said, his eyes gleaming. He smirked at Allen. "Did Bookman just profess his undying admiration and love for me?"

"I didn't," Lavi said, beckoning them down the stairs. "Stop imagining things."

"Stop your lovers' tiff," Kanda said, meeting them at the foot of the stairs. "Why did you take so long, you idiot?"

"Not my fault," Lavi said. "Now where did I put the car keys?"

"They're with me," Kanda said. "I'm driving. Get in."

"But –"

"Lavi,"Lenalee said, taking his hands into hers. "Let Kanda drive if he wants to. You know how much he hates being idle."

"It's quite surprising," Tyki said from the shotgun seat, "that the Earl hasn't attempted to do anything to us this one month. I would have expected him to catch us, somehow."

"Maybe we covered our tracks up too well," Lavi said. "It's a good thing."

"It makes me uneasy," Tyki said. "Something's fishy."

"Let's not think about it," Lavi said. "Today we're gonna score!"

"Komui says he's coming," Lenalee said. "I called him last night."

"You what?" Kanda said. "Did you –"

"I used a disposable cell, Kanda," Lenalee said. "Don't get so paranoid. Anyway, the others are coming too."

"I miss them," Lavi said, sniffing slightly.

"As do I," Allen said. "I'm sorry you guys have had to live like this for the past few months."

"Not your fault, Allen," Lavi said. He patted her shoulder. "Evil has to be stopped. That much we know"

"We should have asked for police protection," Tyki said, busy scanning the roads.

"Awww, Mikk, I thought we were finished with that topic!" Lavi said.

"You're rather unintelligent sometimes, Bookman. How did you manage to get called to the Bar? You see, one can never be too sure with the Earl," Tyki said, turning his head to glare at Lavi. "Take it from someone who worked under the Earl for quite a long time."

"Stop arguing!" Kanda said. "Give me some peace before I crash us all into a tree."

Kanda got the peace he wanted, and rather surprisingly, the quiet lasted till he parked the car in the parking area of the Court.

"We've got to be careful now," Tyki said as he exited the car. "The Earl might have a few assassins waiting for us."

"Mikk –" Lavi began.

"Mikk's right," Kanda said. "Keep your eyes open."

"But the police are everywhere here," Lenalee said, clutching the baby tightly to herself. "Surely they wouldn't try anything."

They were now within sight of the entrance to the Courthouse.

"Don't be too scared later," Lavi told Allen. "Defence counsel will try to scare you into changing your position and saying stupid stuff. It happens. The judges will probably be able to tell what's true and what's not, so you don't have to worry too much. I'm just letting you know –"

"Move!" Kanda said from Allen's right side, pushing her towards the entrance.

A man had emerged from the crowd pronging the streets before the Courthouse, something concealed in his hand.

"All of you, run!" Kanda shouted, whipping around to wrestle with the man.

Tyki herded everyone into the Courthouse, pushing a struggling Allen before him. As she tried to wriggle out of Tyki's grasp, she saw Kanda and the assassin brawling outside, their bodies a blur.

"Stop it!" Tyki said, shaking Allen. "You won't be able to help."

Meanwhile, Lavi was gesturing at some policemen, who immediately rushed out with their batons drawn and guns at the ready.

"The police will help him," Tyki said. He hugged Allen. "Don't worry too much, _amiga_. Kanda is a tough guy."

"Come on," a shaken Lavi said. "Let's get all of us inside the courtroom."

Along the way, Lavi stopped to talk to Tiedoll. "Kanda might be injured, Tiedoll. Could you check on him? I'd ask Marie but I have no idea where he is."

Tiedoll nodded. 'I'll let you know."

Lavi guided Allen to her seat. "Tiedoll will see to Kanda, so try to put him from your mind from now, alright? It won't do to have you all rattled. The Prosecutor will help you along, so put your trust in him and in me."

'I'll be fine," Allen said. "I'll talk to you guys later."

:::

Tiedoll walked out of the Courthouse. Kanda was lying on the floor, blood pooling around him, while the police had arrested the assassin.

"You related to him?" a policeman asked.

Tiedoll nodded, kneeling beside his adopted son. "How is he?"

"Badly wounded, but don't worry, sir, we've called the ambulance. It will be here soon. You going with him in the ambulance?"

"Yes, I would like to."

"He did good today," the policeman said. "A good fighter, this one."

:::

The Prosecutor stood up and delivered a rousing opening statement, condemning the cruel nature of the acts done by the Noahs, emphasising the way they had manipulated Allen into participating in what could be called one of the worst locally-committed criminal acts in a century.

Meanwhile, Allen tried her best not to look in the Noahs' direction. Rhode had been staring at her with a mournful look ever since the Noahs entered the courtroom.

"Now," the Prosecutor said, "with Your Honours' permission, I would like to conduct the Examination-in-Chief of the Prosecution Witnesses."

'Permission granted," Justice A– said.

"Allen Walker, please step up to the stand," the Prosecutor said.

After a lengthy examination by the Prosecutor, the defence counsel stepped forward to give Allen a most hellish time.

"So, Miss Walker," defence counsel said, "you say my clients forced you into this."

"Yes, but –"

"Yes? So which part of it did they force you into, Miss Walker? Did they force you into killing the people? Why didn't you say no? You could have said no. Did my clients force you into it at gunpoint?"

"No, but they –"

"But they what? I put it to you that you had a choice, but you simply chose not to utilise that choice."

"I didn't have a choice! They threatened –"

"Ah, now we have it. What they did threaten, Miss Walker?" defence counsel asked. He leaned in, and Allen could see the cruel smile on his lips mirrored in his eyes.

"They... they didn't exactly threaten me –"

"They didn't, did they? So what did they say that made you feel threatened enough to push the button?"

"I knew they would harm my friends if I didn't follow the Earl's instructions –"

"Ms Walker, let's not beat about the bush. Did the Earl threaten you with Kanda Yu's death or did he not?"

Allen's eyes widened at this mention of Kanda – how had the lawyer known of her true fears? "No, but –"

"Did any of the Noahs threaten you?"

"No..."

"If no one threatened you explicitly, then perhaps, Ms Walker, this honourable court might find that you simply have too good an imagination. Now Ms Walker, let me tell you, if my clients are found guilty, so will you. Don't forget that it was your hand that brought it all about," the defence counsel said, leaning against the witness stand. His brown eyes bore deep into hers, as if trying to dig up all the secrets hidden in her soul.

"I saved more lives that way!" Allen cried, the horror of her act once again descending on her.

"That's something we'd like to hear about," Justice C– said, leaning forward. "Perhaps you can tell us more about that, Ms Walker. Stand down for a moment, if you please, Counsel."

Saved by the judges' intervention, Allen managed at last to tell her side of the story (which the Prosecution had not touched on).

:::

"Now that wasn't too bad, was it?" Lavi said comfortingly as they walked out of the courtroom. "Actually... I hate to say this but it was pretty bad. The defence counsel was mean... Fierce man. Aggressive. I hate that type."

Allen shivered. "I can't imagine going back there to be examined again..."

"It won't be your turn tomorrow, if that's any consolation," Lavi said. "At least, it won't be, if the judges don't find anything else they want to ask you regarding your testimony."

"I hope they don't. One day is enough for me."

"Look," Lavi said, "Here's Kanda with the car and Daisya with the van. Coming, Mikk? We'd better stay away from the Noahs for now, just to be safe."

"Where are we going?" Allen asked.

"Komui's house," Lavi said. "He'll board us all tonight. He has enough rooms. Everyone wants to stay with us and help any way they can... They're all in the van, I think. Most of them, anyway."

"I can't thank them enough for their support," Allen said, with tears in her eyes.

"What are friends for?" Lavi asked, smiling at Allen as they got into the car.

"Stop nattering," Kanda said from behind the wheel. "It's time for the Beansprout to get some rest."

:::

Allen wandered around the inner atrium of Komui's house, her slippered feet making scarcely any sounds against the cool marble tiles. The night was cold, and she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders, mindful of the shadows dancing around her, their silhouettes made alive by the shadows of gently swaying plant branches.

"A penny for your thoughts, amiga?"

The sudden sound made Allen jump. "Tyki! Don't sneak up on me, please."

"I wasn't," Tyki said. He pouted.

"Don't pout, Tyki,. I swear you're becoming more like Lavi."

"I don't know if that's an insult or a compliment, amiga."

Allen shrugged. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"I could ask the same question of you."

"I couldn't sleep," Allen said. "I've too many thoughts in my head tonight. And they're all haunting me. The ghosts, I mean."

"Same here," Tyki said. "Sometimes a man really shouldn't have a conscience. It's a bothersome thing to have."

"What ghosts are haunting you tonight?" Allen turned to face her friend. "You don't have to tell me if you don't feel like it."

"Too many," Tyki said. In the dim moonlight, Allen thought she could see tears at the corners of his eyes, though she couldn't be sure.

"The men you've killed in your long career?"

"Yes," Tyki said. He lifted his eyes skyward. "Them especially. I think the trial has brought them back from the great beyond, and now they haunt me."

Allen patted Tyki's shoulders. "It's all in the past now, Tyki. You need to remember that."

"I know, amiga, I know. It's just that a man needs to make peace with his soul at one point." Tyki sighed. "You should sleep soon."

"You too," Allen said.

"I'll sit out here for a while more," Tyki sad. "Need to clear my head."

"I'll stay with you."

"Oh, I think you'd better not," Tyki said. "Not that I disdain your company, but Kanda will raise a fuss if he can't find you in your room when he checks on you."

"He said he would check on me?" Allen asked. She stood up.

"Yeah, you'd better be going. Don't want him getting angry now, do you?"

"Good night, Tyki," Allen said. She left for her room.

There was no sign of Kanda in the corridor. Allen felt strangely disappointed, sighing as she pushed against her door. A sound near the window made her raise her eyes as the door swung open. She gasped. There Kanda was, sitting cross-legged on the floor – and he was glaring at her.

"Kanda," Allen said.

"You shouldn't be sneaking around like that in the dead of the night."

"I wasn't."

"Aren't you even worried about your own safety?"

"There are guards around this house, Kanda. You're getting paranoid."

"Guards?" Kanda said, rising swiftly. He frowned. "I wouldn't trust a Noah to not be able to sneak past those idiots outside."

Allen shook her head and closed the door. "You're thinking too much... But how are your wounds?"

Kanda moved backwards as Allen reached out to touch the bruises on his face. "I'm fine."

"Stand still, Kanda," Allen said. "Let me look at them."

Kanda frowned again, but didn't move a hair when Allen's cold fingers brushed against his skin, skirting the tender edges of the purple bruises.

"I'm sorry for making you worry and for causing you to be injured," Allen said, withdrawing her fingers.

Kanda caught hold of her fingers. "Don't be an idiot."

Allen looked at his hands.

"Reflex action," Kanda said, suddenly aware of the awkwardness lying heavy in the air. He loosened his grip on her hands. "There's no reason for you to be sorry."

"I've brought so much trouble to all of you."

"Che. Stop thinking so much. Go to bed." Kanda pushed Allen toward the bed.

"You should go to bed too."

"I will, once you're in bed," Kanda said, stooping to unfold a mat.

"What's that?"

"My sleeping mat, what else?"

"You plan to sleep here tonight?" Allen asked.

"You never know when someone will try sneaking into your room here. We're too close to them."

"Komui has his whole house rigged, Kanda. You know that. He has a couple of Komuirins hidden away somewhere."

"They're robots," Kanda said. "And stupid. Now stop talking."

He switched the lights off. Allen snuggled under the covers, glad to have some company on this strange night. The ghosts had all fled now, and a little flame burned brightly in her heart, warming her soul and body.

:::

The next day, Tyki was called to the stand.

The Prosecutor continued building his case theory, finally allowing Tyki the chance to denounce the Earl and the Noahs he had once counted as family.

The defence counsel tried to break that same story down by casting Tyki in the role of manipulator and liar.

After the trial, Allen walked up to Tyki and took him by the arm.

"You okay?" she asked.

'I'm good," he said.

"No, you're not," Allen said.

"Let's not talk about it now," Tyki said. "I feel traumatised."

"One is apt to feel that way after being attacked by the other side's lawyers," Lavi said from behind them. "Let's get in the cars first. We can all talk about things later, okay, Mikk? Allen?"

Allen nodded. "Come on, Tyki."

As they waited for the vehicles at the porch of the Courtroom, they saw the Noahs filing out. One of them, a man, saw them and started running over, waving his arms and shouting.

"Tyki," Allen said, tugging on Tyki's arm, "someone's coming. Let's move faster."

"It's Cyril," Tyki said, blinking.

"We should go," Lavi said. "I sense trouble, oh trouble."

"Stop there!" Cyril said. "Tyki Mikk!"

Tyki resisted Allen and Lavi's pulls. "He's my brother. He won't hurt me."

"So you say," Lavi said. "Don't be a fool."

Tyki dug his heels in. "What do you want, Cyril?"

"You bastard!" Cyril shouted, reaching Tyki at last. He grabbed Tyki by the collar. "Ingrate!"

"Let go of my, Cyril."

"Fucking bastard," Cyril said, his grip on Tyki's collar tightening.

Tyki tried pulling Cyril's hands away. "Let go of me."

"How could you do this to us? Who fed you all these years? Who clothes you? Who gave you a place to stay? Who gave you a way out when you were nothing but a filthy vagabond? How do you expect me to account to the Earl? We owe him so much!"

"He gave us pain too."

"Don't be an idiot! The Earl has done nothing for us but help us. He has shown us nothing but kindness!"

"He made us kill for him, Cyril. I don't know about you, but I still see their dead eyes when I go to sleep every night. He made us break the law for him."

"Shut up," Cyril said, his face now pale with rage.

"It's a fact, Cyril. You've gotta accept it. The Noahs... we're a fake family. We're just the Earl's playthings. Can you continue doing what you're doing, knowing what you do?"

Cyril reddened, and his left hand released Tyki's collar, swinging backward and then forward in an arc. There was a sickening sound of crushed bone as his fist made contact with Tyki's face.

"Tyki!" Allen shouted.

Lavi shoved Cyril off Tyki. "Kanda!"

Kanda ran over from the nearest van and grabbed hold of the other side of Tyki. "Move, Beansprout! To the van!"

* * *

A/N: Really sorry that it took me such a long time to come up with this chapter (and it's so horribly short to boot). I'll try to update quicker (if life allows it) - do forgive any style errors you see because I didn't have the time to proofread it, oops. Also, I know there are errors regarding the legal procedures - I realised that too late. Let's just pretend everything's right, sigh.

Thanks for reading and reviews/comments/suggestions would be appreciated (:


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I don't own DGM.

* * *

"_He made us kill for him, Cyril. I don't know about you, but I still see their dead eyes when I go to sleep every night. He made us break the law for him."_

"_Shut up," Cyril said, his face now pale with rage. _

"_It's a fact, Cyril. You've gotta accept it. The Noahs... we're a fake family. We're just the Earl's playthings. Can you continue doing what you're doing, knowing what you do?"_

_Cyril reddened, and his left hand released Tyki's collar, swinging backward and then forward in an arc. There was a sickening sound of crushed bone as his fist made contact with Tyki's face._

"_Tyki!" Allen shouted._

_Lavi shoved Cyril off Tyki. "Kanda!"_

_Kanda ran over from the nearest van and grabbed hold of the other side of Tyki. "Move, Beansprout! To the van!"_

:::

Allen ran for the van. Lavi pushed Tyki into the van behind Allen and slammed the door behind all of them. Daisya immediately drove off, the whole caravan of vehicles following after on the road to Komui's house.

"You okay?" Allen asked, fishing a packet of tissues from her bag.

Tyki took one and pressed it against his face. "Painful."

"Idiot," Kanda said.

"Kanda," Allen said. "That wasn't necessary, was it?"

"We'll get you fixed up once we reach Komui's," Lavi said. "He saw what happened from one of the other vans, he'll have called a nurse by now."

"Just bear with it for a while longer," Allen said, patting Tyki on the back.

"I'm fine, I can take it," Tyki said. "I've had to endure more while working under the Earl."

:::

"How's it?" Allen asked, putting her head into Tyki's room.

"I'm okay," Tyki said. "You want to come in?"

Allen nodded. "I've got some coffee for you. Though maybe you shouldn't take it... the doctor said you need rest, after all."

"I'll have a cup," Tyki said.

"How are you feeling?" Allen asked, pouring coffee into one of the two mugs on her tray.

Tyki accepted the mug. "I'm okay. It'll heal soon."

"That's not what I meant," Allen said. She took a seat at the edge of Tyki's bed. "I meant feeling as in feeling."

"I don't get you, amiga."

"Cyril hit you. He's your brother, after all... you must be feeling terrible about it."

"Oh," Tyki said. "Well, it does suck to be misunderstood."

"Mmm."

"But what I said to Cyril earlier... it's the truth. He has to face up to it. I want him to face reality. Him and Rhode. Because I care about them."

"How about Lulu Bell?"

Tyki looked away. "Let's not go there."

"I'm sorry," Allen said. "I shouldn't have asked that last question."

"Not your fault," Tyki said. "I just... don't feel like talking about her. Or thinking about her."

"I'm sorry you have to go through all these." Allen said.

"I chose this path, amiga," Tyki said. "I think I can live with it."

"I'm not doubting your courage or perseverance –"

"Courage? Perseverance? Psh," Tyki said, an impatient gesture accompany his words. "No, I'm not interested in those! The only thing I care about now is finding the right path, the path which will reduce the number of regretful moments in my life."

Allen took a step toward Tyki.

"I need this as much as you, amiga," Tyki said. He too stood up.

Allen put her arms around Tyki. "I know how you feel. It will get better, trust me."

"I know it will," Tyki said. "I know it will."

"About Cyril..."

"Don't worry about him. My brother will come round once we have Rhode's support."

Allen released Tyki from her embrace. "How will you convince Rhode that the Earl is evil? I hate to say this about her, but you know she has sadistic tendencies, don't you?"

"Of course I know... but there'll be a way. I'll sleep on it."

"I'll try to find a way, too," Allen said. "You need all the help you can get."

"Are you talking about yourself?" Tyki said, smiling.

"Myself?"

"Rhode's evidence will help with the balance in the trial," Tyki said.

"That wasn't what I was thinking about."

"Of course it wasn't," Tyki said. 'I forgot how unselfish you are."

"I'm not unselfish!" Allen said. "I'm as selfish as the next person, perhaps more. You all seem to place me on a pedestal, sometimes."

"We don't," Tyki said. "It's the truth."

"It's not the truth at all."

"It is," Tyki said. "Now go to bed, amiga."

:::

Rhode leaned on Cyril's desk. "Was Tyki speaking the truth today?"

Cyril looked down at his daughter's face. Her large eyes were fixed on him as her fingers tap-danced across the far edge of the desk. "Of course not, darling."

"Are you lying to me, Daddy?"

"No, sweetheart, why would I lie to you? Tyki must have lost his mind, saying such things... You know he has a penchant for lying."

"Then why is Lulubell so affected?"

"So affected? What do you mean?" Cyril asked, anxiety rising in him. Exactly what was Lulubell up to now?

"She's crying. Has been crying ever since we came back from court."

"Crying!" Cyril repeated. Lulubell, crying? He'd sooner believe that it could snow in summer.

"Yeah, she's been crying. That's why I find your answer rather suspicious, Daddy."

"Oh, sweetheart, I need some peace now. Can I – do you mind leaving me alone for a while?" Cyril asked, managing a half-smile.

"Okay," Rhode said. She stopped leaning on the desk. "But I want an answer from you soon, Daddy. About what Tyki said."

"Uncle Tyki," Cyril said absently.

"Whatever."

Cyril watched Rhode leave before taking off to Lulubell's room. He entered her room without knocking.

"Lulu," he said.

Lulubell looked up from the dresser, her eyes red and puffy. She threw a hairbrush at him. "How dare you enter my room without knocking!"

"We're siblings," Cyril said. "Does it matter?"

"Does privacy mean nothing to you, Cyril?"

Cyril regarded Lulubell with surprise. "Why are you crying, Lulu?"

"That's none of your business!"

"It is my business. I need to know if you're up to your antics again."

"Antics? What do you take me for?" Lulubell flung the tissue in her hand onto the dresser. "I'm not some idiotic teenager. Stop insulting me!"

"Why are you so emotional today, then?"

"I'm not."

"Oh yes, you are. I've seen you cry all of three times in the many years we've known each other."

"Can't I cry when I feel like it?" Lulubell asked, turning away. "A woman's entitled to her tears."

"You don't cry. Do I need to repeat myself?"

"Shut the fuck up, Cyril. You don't understand. You never will."

"Lulu –"

"Go away. Please. Now. Before I start screaming at you."

Cyril shook his head. "I'll let you off for now. Take some time to think about our situation and don't do anything silly, sister."

:::

Lavi nodded at the man who took the seat opposite him. "Thanks for coming on such short notice. I appreciate it."

"Not a problem," the prosecutor said. "You said there's something I should know?"

"Cyril Kamelot punched Tyki Mikk today while we were outside the courthouse."

"Hmm," the prosecutor said, leaning forward and lacing his fingers together. "That's a good development. Any photographic evidence?"

"No, but we have witnesses."

"I see. I'll see what I can do with this. Thank you for sharing this information with me, Mr Bookman."

"My pleasure. Do you suppose it would swing the balance in our favour?"

"Swing the balance? I would venture to say that it would. It would."

Lavi nodded. "That's the best piece of news I've had from you in a very long time."

:::

The newspapers had many field days following the punch dealt by Cyril Kamelot to Tyki Mikk.

One read: Brothers Punching Over Earl.

The next day, another read "Judge Finds New Evidence of Guilt: Boycott Millennium Enterprises!

The most important turning point, however, came three weeks later when the judges stood up in court and announced the verdict.

Lenalee and Lavi held each other tightly as one of the Justices started talking. "It is our view, based on the facts presented to this honourable court, that the Prosecution's case has been proven beyond reasonable doubt."

As Allen leaned forward to hear better, she felt an arm curl against her back. A quick glance to her right exposed the surprising truth: the arm belonged to Kanda. Another surprising truth (because was she hallucinating?): Kanda was smiling at her. Allen gaped for a good while before her brain whirled back to life and she snuggled into his warm embrace.

"We will hear counsel on sentencing and mitigation separately," the Justice continued.

"What happened?" Allen asked, leaning towards Lavi. "What did I miss?"

"They're guilty," Lavi said. "Sentences will be passed later. Congratulations, Allen! We've made it!"

"Thank you, Lavi," Allen said. "Thank you."

Kanda said nothing; he only held her tighter and they bowed their heads together in silent prayer as the Justices shuffled out of the Courtroom.

:::

"Where's the bubbly?" Tyki asked. "Don't tell me there's no bubbly!"

"Bubbly?" Lavi repeated. "Where's the bubbly supposed to come from?"

"You're supposed to wave your wand and say 'accio bubbly', didn't you know?"

"Are you mad, Mikk?" Lavi asked.

"He is," Kanda said. "The idiot's trying to kill himself with smoke and alcohol."

"All nasty things," Tyki agreed, "but so very pleasant, too."

"Shut up," Kanda said.

"It's a day for celebration!" Komui said, toasting the group. "This calls for a party!"

"A party!" Daisya shouted. "Let's get the music on, come on!"

Marie laughed. "I've got some good music tracks in my tablet."

"Bring it on!" Daisya said, starting to gyrate in the middle of the sitting room. "The rain is over and the sun is out! It's time to party!"

"Is that a song?" Tyki asked. "Because, if it is, it's the most hideous song I've ever heard."

"Shut up, you asshole," Daisya said, flashing his middle finger.

"What a nasty piece of shit you are," Tyki said. "I don't know you very well, and there you are, giving me the finger? There are ladies here, if you haven't already noticed."

Daisya blew a raspberry at Tyki before turning back to Marie.

In the midst of the chaos, Allen stood up and slipped out to the porch. She leaned against the railing and looked up at the dark sky where the stars winked from their thrones in the sky.

She sighed. All was well now – one would think all was well, judging by the conversation in the room and the raucous indications of great merriment. They had a right to be happy, of course; the verdict heralded the beginning of the end of a long and exhausting fight. As relieved as she was, Allen could not quite quash the anxiety that collected in her heart, weighing down her steps and stirring dark fears in the night.

"Why did you sigh?" Kanda asked from behind her.

"Why are you out here?"

"I saw you leave," Kanda said, a bemused expression on his face. "You haven't answered my question, Beansprout."

"Don't call me that," Allen said, turning back to face the yard.

Kanda moved forward to lean against the railings too. "Depressed?"

"Do you think prison will be a terrible place? A frightening place?"

"So that's what it's about?" Kanda moved slightly closer. Allen could feel the scratchy wool of his sweater against her hand.

"I'm frightened."

"I... I don't know. I've never been in one. But – but –"

"But?"

"Nothing."

"Really? But you were going to say something –"

Kanda cut off Allen's flow of words by pulling her into his arms. He stroked her hair lightly. "It will be fine. In the end."

They stood there for a while, arms entangled, wind dancing through their hair. The warmth of an embrace, the beating of two hearts in unison and the silence in the darkness said more than they could ever have put into words.

:::

"The Earl killed himself last night," Lavi said, coming in with the day's papers.

"Let me see that," Tyki said.

"I can't believe he went down without putting up a better fight," Komui said as he stirred his coffee.

"Is he really dead?" Kanda asked.

"Are you thinking up a conspiracy theory now?" Lavi asked. "Kanda, Kanda. You never fail to surprise me."

"Shut up, idiot."

"What does it say?" Allen asked Tyki.

"He's dead. It's true. I guess he decided to cut his losses instead of being further humiliated," Tyki said. "I wonder if that means my brothers and sisters will follow his lead."

'Will Rhode –"

"She won't," Tyki said. "Not her. Not if Cyril still loves her."

:::

_Four years later_

"Why isn't she coming out yet?" Lavi asked, hopping from one foot to the other.

"Stop moving," Kanda said. "You're making me dizzy, you asshat."

"Boys," Lenalee scolded. "Have you got the flowers, Kanda?"

"It's here."

"You bought flowers? Why didn't I know?"

"Go away, you idiot," Kanda said, pushing Lavi away.

"But I want to know what flowers they are!"

"Roses."

"Roses! Oh my, Yu is all grown up!" Lavi said, pretending to wipe tears away.

"Shut up and stay away," Kanda said, giving Lavi another shove.

"Guys," Lenalee said, "stop fighting! The gates are opening."

Indeed, the gates were opening, and two ex-inmates walked into the gentle autumn afternoon.

"Allen! Mikk!" Lavi shouted, waving his arms furiously as he started to speedwalk towards them.

But Kanda got there first – in a rare show of emotion, he put his arms around Allen.

"Welcome back," he said, his arms tight against her back.

"I've missed you," Allen said, returning the hug. She could feel Kanda's heartbeat, furious and strong, against her chest. How she had missed them all...

"Look at them lovebirds," Lavi said.

"What am I, invisible?" Tyki asked.

"You're right, Mikk," Lavi said. "Get off Allen, Yu! Lena and I want to hug her too!"

:::

Kanda took Allen and Tyki home with him – he was the one with spare rooms, after all, and Tyki no longer had a place to return to.

"Take him in, please, Kanda?" Allen had pleaded, and Kanda relented (though not before shooting Tyki a venomous glare).

That was how Allen and Tyki found themselves alone in Kanda's house one week after their release from prison.

"It's been a beautiful long week," Tyki said. "Beautiful. Absolutely fucking beautiful."

"Yes," Allen said.

"Something troubling you, _amiga_? You don't seem too happy."

"No."

"Really."

Allen nodded.

"Is Kanda not paying enough attention to you?" Tyki asked. He walked to the window. "He has a nice house, I'll grant him that."

"It's not about Kanda... I – I've been thinking about the Earl."

"Why are you thinking about the Earl?" Tyki asked. "He's dead and buried and can't harm us anymore."

"I don't miss him... It's just that – with his death," Allen said, looking at Tyki. "I will never know what happened between Neah and the Earl."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too. I would have liked to know the truth."

"Lulu might know, you know. Cyril too."

"I don't think they'd take kindly to my questions..."

"I'd ask them for you if we were still on speaking terms," Tyki said.

"Don't trouble yourself, Tyki. Let's just close this chapter, shall we?"

"You're right," Tyki said, but his eyes were still clouded with concern.

:::

"Where's Mikk?" Kanda asked during a quiet dinner.

"He went out to visit some friends," Allen said.

"Probably went gambing," Kanda grumbled.

"Maybe."

"Do you want to get your shop space back?" Kanda asked.

"Hmm? Why the sudden question?"

"I was just curious about your livelihood."

"Oh, that," Allen said. She set down her chopsticks and pushed her empty bowl away. "I don't think I will want to open Judgement again. That was always Cross' idea."

"So what are you going to do from now on?" Kanda asked as he rose to wash the dishes.

"Bum around?"

"Why do you want to be an unemployed member of society for?" Kanda asked, piling the dishes into the dishwasher.

"Do you want green tea?" Allen asked. "I'll make us a pot."

"Fine," Kanda said. "Not too sweet though."

"I know you hate sweet stuff," Allen said.

Kanda watched as Allen washed the tea leaves. "You haven't answered my question. About your future."

"What's there to say, Kanda? I'll figure it out as I go along."

Kanda simply stared at Allen. At first, Allen did not notice the stare as she was concerned with steeping the tea leaves in hot water for the correct length of time. Then she turned – and Kanda's eyes were still on her.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Kanda nodded. 'I – what if –"

"Yes?" Allen said.

"I could –"

Allen blinked. "You were saying? Are you feeling sick?"

Kanda pushed Allen's hand away. 'I'm not having a fever, you idiot. I was just – I just wanted to say that I could support you – I could – if you decide not to look for a job."

"Oh," Allen said, trying to process Kanda's words. "That ... that works too, I guess?"

"You guess?" Kanda repeated.

"I don't know, Kanda. I'm sorry, I really don't know. I need time to think about what I want to do with my life. Recently – there's been little space for anything but thinking about my mistakes and about the past. I have so little time to think about matters of the heart."

"I can wait."

"I – I don't want to burden you, Kanda. I mean what I said. I'm still trying to deal with adapting to normal life... and with never ever being able to find out what happened to Neah."

Kanda walked over to Allen. "I know."

"Then why –"

"I just wanted to let you know my thoughts," Kanda said, taking Allen's small hands into his own big ones. "I'll wait. I know you're trying your best to deal with the situation."

"Thank you , Kanda. I mean it," Allen said. She laid her head on his chest and the two of them stayed in that position for a long, long time.

:::

"Guess what – or rather, who – I've brought for you?" Tyki asked, popping his head around Allen's door.

"You always fail to remember to knock," Allen said, half-amused.

"My bad," Tyki said, "but you'll want to see this."

Tyki shoved someone – a short someone in gothic dress – into the room. "Happy talking!" he said, and disappeared.

"Rhode!" Allen exclaimed, bounding out of her chair and across the room. "How have you been?"

"I've been... fine," Rhode said. "You, Allen?"

"I'm good," Allen said. "Please, take a seat."

"Look," Rhode said, "I'm sorry for the suffering us Noahs put you through –"

"It's okay, Rhode –"

"It's not okay! I'm really sorry –"

"And I'm sorry for giving evidence against them. Please forgive me."

"Will you forgive me too, Allen?"

"You never knew till the trial; what's there to forgive?"

"I think I did know... I always chose not to question, though. I should have questioned."

"I'm glad you didn't, or else you'd have ended up in jail too."

"How are you, Allen? Is it difficult to adapt?"

"Quite, but everyone has been so kind. I'm sure I'll adapt soon enough."

"We – we'll still be friends?"

"Of course, Rhode, of course. I have never blamed you."

"I know you blamed Master Millennium."

"I did."

"You did? You don't, anymore?"

"There's no point in blaming a man dead and gone, or in further sullying his memory. He must have had his reasons, though I find it hard to believe that he had reasons at all."

"I don't know about that..."

"Rhode, I told Tyki we should close this chapter of our lives. Can we do this too? Move on?"

"I – yeah. We should. I guess we can never reconcile our views on this. Better to move on."

Allen nodded and threw her arms around Rhode. For the first time since her release, she truly laughed, glad to reclaim this friendship.

:::

_One month later_

"Kanda?" Allen asked, entering Kanda's room without knocking.

"Beansprout?" Kanda said. "What are you doing here?"

"I have something I want to tell you."

Kanda nodded, gesturing for Allen to take a seat.

"I – I want to go."

Kanda leaned forward. "You want to what?"

"Go away," Allen said, her hands moving away from her body in a wide arc.

"Where?"

"Maybe Italy. I want to start afresh."

"What about – what about –" Kanda wanted to ask her _what about us_, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Instead, he asked, "will you ever come back?"

"Yes. When I'm ready. I'm not leaving forever."

"Why – why?" Kanda asked.

"Why what?"

"Why are you leaving?"

"I'm lost," Allen said. "Very lost. I think being away will help me find some direction."

"Being away from me?"

"Yes, you. You and the others."

"But –"

"I think of the dead people all the time, Kanda. Especially when I'm here. Being around me makes me so happy – this house reminds me of our happy times – before – but I can't sleep at night sometimes. I think of them, the dead mothers, dead babies, dead lovers – and they walk everywhere."

"In that case, Beansprout, it wouldn't make a difference if you went to Italy."

"It would. I see their dead eyes when I look at you, Kanda."

Kanda blinked. And blinked. And blinked a third time. He didn't know what to say, how to respond.

"That's why I'm going," Allen said. "I need some closure."

"You could – can't you simply move?"

"I don't think your house is the problem, Kanda. I need to be away from you. I will come back, don't worry."

"How can you say it so fucking casually?"

"I care about you," Allen said. She leaned towards Kanda and rested her hands on his knees. "I love you. I want to make myself whole before I come back to you."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning," Allen said.

"You planned this long ago."

"Yes."

"You didn't tell me."

"I was afraid you'd stop me or decide to follow me."

Kanda shook his head. "I – Beansprout, before you go, can we – can we promise each other? Marry me, Allen."

"No, Kanda, I won't tie you to me."

"I'll feel better if we were engaged before you leave."

"No, I don't want to tie you to me. You might meet a better partner while I'm gone."

"I won't."

"You might. Or I might. One never knows."

"Please, marry me, Allen."

Allen was struck by Kanda's earnest tone and his use of her real name. She wanted to say yes – to throw her arms around him and kiss him – but it would not be right. She could not tie him to her when she was still a shell of her former self, drenched in sweat every night as she trod through nightmares, lost as she was in a storm of her own making.

"No, Kanda. I love you."

"Marry me."

"You'll have to ask me when I come back, whenever that is," Allen said, standing up. She walked toward the door. "So long, Kanda. I will miss you."

Kanda sat numb on his bed. He did not understand – maybe she would change her mind the next morning. It was thus with great sadness that he found an empty room the next day. The curtains were billowing, and there was no sign that anyone had ever lived in the room that once belonged to Allen Walker.

* * *

A/N: Well, looks like this is the penultimate chapter! I can't believe it has been nearly three years since I started this fic. How time flies!

Anyway, please do excuse any stylistic errors in this chapter; I'm very tired of it and can't be bothered to proofread. I know laziness is no excuse, but... Also, please please please ignore all the mistakes I've made regarding the law. I should have planned better in this respect, but I didn't and I apologise.

As always, thanks for reading; constructive reviews/suggestions/criticism would be appreciated.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I don't own DGM.

Also, there are a lot of time leaps here. If you don't like such devices – well, you have been warned! (:

* * *

"_Please, marry me, Allen."_

_Allen was struck by Kanda's earnest tone and his use of her real name. She wanted to say yes – to throw her arms around him and kiss him – but it would not be right. She could not tie him to her when she was still a shell of her former self, drenched in sweat every night as she trod through nightmares, lost as she was in a storm of her own making._

"_No, Kanda. I love you." _

"_Marry me."_

"_You'll have to ask me when I come back, whenever that is," Allen said, standing up. She walked toward the door. "So long, Kanda. I will miss you."_

_Kanda sat numb on his bed. He did not understand – maybe she would change her mind the next morning. It was thus with great sadness that he found an empty room the next day. The curtains were billowing, and there was no sign that anyone had ever lived in the room that once belonged to Allen Walker._

:::

Tyki lounged on Kanda's sofa, sipping at his whiskey. "So, she really left."

Kanda glared at Tyki. "That's fucking obvious, isn't it?"

Tyki shrugged.

"Do you know where she is?"

"No. Why would she tell me?"

"She tells you things," Kanda said. "She doesn't – didn't – tell me much."

"I suspected she was going to leave," Tyki said. "But she didn't tell me."

"How did you know?"

"It's quite simple, Kanda Yu. You remind her of her pain. It doesn't take too much effort to connect the dots, does it? Maybe it does, when it comes to you."

"Shut up."

"I will."

Kanda continued wiping the coffee table. "Do you – do you think she will come back?"

"She told you she would, didn't she? Then she will. You'll have to trust her."

"I –"

"You don't love her if you don't trust her," Tyki said, wagging a finger at Kanda.

"What? That's nonsense."

"Trust me, Mr Lovesick. Trust me."

:::

_One month later_

"There's a letter for you," Tyki said, waving a white envelop in Kanda's face.

"Stop that, you asshat," Kanda said, grabbing the letter. "Who –"

"Who?" Tyki asked, curious. He leaned over Kanda's shoulder.

"Go away," Kanda said. "It's her handwriting."

"Handwriting?"

"The Beansprout," Kanda said. He flushed. "I'll – you clean up after you're done with breakfast."

"I want to read that letter too!" Tyki called after Kanda. "Hey, Kanda Yu!"

Kanda ignored the man and quickly tore the envelop apart. A small square of paper fell out, and Kanda almost tripped over his own feet in his haste to pick it up.

_Dear Kanda_, it began, _how are you? I hope you – and the rest – are well. Life is good here – I'm in Italy right now, like I told you. It isn't as cold here in winter and for that I am grateful. I'm currently working at a winery and taking a part-time course in social work. It gets busy, and you'd think I'd be tired of wine by now – but that's good, because I start to think when I don't have anything to do with my time. _

_I have not enclosed my address because I don't want you flying out here to find me. But – I will continue writing to you. Wait for my next epistle! Give my love to Lavi, Lenalee, Tyki and all the others. _

_Allen. _

She had remembered to write to him – she hadn't forgotten him. Kanda's heartbeat quickened to a dizzying pace, and he reread the short letter again and again.

:::

It was the ides of spring, and Kanda had stashed away a total of eight letters delivered from Italy.

"Do you miss her?" Lavi asked as they walked along the river near the shopping mall.

"Are you an idiot?"

"Don't be so touchy, my dear," Lavi said. "I was only asking..."

"And you know the fucking answer, so why bother asking?"

"I'm concerned, that's why."

"You don't need to be.

"That's what you always say," Lavi said, waving a hand around, "and look what comes of it."

"Che."

"Oh come on, I'm your best friend! Unburden yourself to me!"

"Quit bugging me."

"If you mind so much, why do you lunch with me every single day?" Lavi asked. "Oh look, those are such pretty flowers!"

Kanda looked and shrugged. "Flowers are flowers."

"But they're pretty!"

"I don't care."

"Oh, don't be such a Grinch," Lavi said.

"If you want someone to admire flowers with you, look for Lenalee."

Lavi turned to face Kanda. There were lines in Kanda's face now, lines that had appeared barely months before. They were all growing older, there was no mistake about it.

"You miss her," Lavi said.

Kanda did not look him in the eye. "Are we going through this again, idiot?"

"Yes," Lavi said. "Yes. Until you admit that you're having issues with Allen not being here."

Kanda took a step back. "Why do you care?"

"Because you're fading?"

"I'm not," Kanda scoffed.

"Oh yes, you are! I don't mean fading, like, becoming transparent, you know? I mean fading as in... becoming older, becoming stranger."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah, it doesn't," Lavi said. "But you get what I mean, right?"

"Fine."

"Fine?" Lavi repeated. "Fine what?"

"Yes, I miss her. But so what? I have no fucking idea where she is. What do you want me to do?"

"Uh, get a social life, maybe?" Lavi suggested, kneeling on the pavement to pick fallen petals.

"Don't need one."

"Everyone needs one," Lavi declared. He tossed the petals into the river.

Kanda leaned on the railings and watched as the petals floated down in the swirls of water towards the sea. "No."

"You can't keep moping," Lavi said. "It isn't healthy. Mikk says you're becoming a hermit."

"I don't give a hoot about Mikk and what he says."

"And yet you let him live with you."

Kanda shrugged.

Lavi tapped his fingers on the railing; _taptaptap_. "I still think you need to do something other than talking to Mikk about Allen and waiting obsessively for the next letter."

"I work," Kanda said. "That takes up a lot of my time."

"I'll have you understand that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," Lavi said. He winked.

"Don't fucking do that. You know it's creepy."

"And you love me!" Lavi said, slinging a hand over Kanda's shoulder as he steered Kanda back towards the mall.

Kanda pushed Lavi's hand off. "You're weird."

"That's it?"

"Ehhh?"

"You've mellowed, Yu. You've mellowed. I ought to thank Allen for that. I'll thank her when she comes back."

"If she comes back," Kanda said. "She might not."

"Wipe that sour expression off your face, my boy," Lavi said. "It mars your beauty."

Face as red as a tomato, Kanda reached over and hit Lavi on the head. "Shut the fuck up!"

:::

Allen leaned back and grimaced as the chair creaked from her movement._ It's been a few months_, she thought. _What should I write about today? _

_Dear Kanda_, she began, _how are you? I'm starting to miss you terribly, not that I didn't miss you before this but..._

Allen paused and twirled her pen. What next? The desire to hear from Kanda flared brighter in her mind than anything else. Frowning, she crumpled the paper and tossed it into the bin. She pulled her foolscap pad towards her, tapping the tip of the pen against the table. _What to write, what to write?_

_Dear Kanda_, she began again, _how are you? I hope you're well. I'm getting better – I think. There's so much to life here. Weekend trips to the countryside, beautiful cuisine, lovely weather... I could almost forget the past._

_Would you join me here if I told you where I am? Do you think we can build a new life together here? I think you'd come if I asked you – but you wouldn't be happy here. So I won't ask you; I will go back when it's time. That's just for reassurance – we all know even you need a little reassurance from time to time. _

_If you want to write to me, you can address it to R –. They will forward your letter to me. Meanwhile, stay safe and happy!_

_With love, _

_Allen _

This is it, Allen thought. This is what I meant to say each time I sat down to write to Kanda, but I have never expressed it better than I have today.

:::

The hot Italian summer stood on its toes, ready to wrest away spring's hand and take the land into its fiery embrace.

Allen, clad in a simple cotton dress to ward off the impending heat, shrugged her shawl off before she left her apartment to visit a bar nearby. The sun was already setting, but the cool spring evening was about to give way to the ministrations of the sultry summer, and a shawl was no longer necessary after sunset.

"A letter for you, Allen," her landlady said, meeting her at the gate.

"Thanks," Allen said. She flipped the envelope over; the handwriting, neat and square, came as a shock to her.

"Are you alright?" the landlady asked, tapping Allen on the arm.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you," Allen said. "Just... hungry." _Hungry for the letter. _

"Ah," the landlady said, her eyes twinkling, "then you'd better be on your way! Or that stomach of yours will eat you up!"

Allen smiled. "I'll see you later, then."

"Have fun," the landlady said. A wave of her hand, and she was gone.

Allen looked towards the road, still fingering the letter in her hands. _Should I open it now? But – I'll be late. I – I'll wait_, she decided. _I'll savour it tonight._

The night had never passed so slowly for Allen before in all her months in Italy. She smiled and nodded as her friends chattered away, sipping slowly at her martini, willing the hours to fly by. It seemed like forever before she deemed it finally less impolite to claim exhaustion and leave.

She speed-walked the entire short distance back to her apartment, glad when she could at last toss her bag to the side and lean into the lamplight, slowly opening the envelope with a letter cutter.

Beansprout, the letter read,

_You finally thought enough to give me an address to write to. Don't worry, I won't fly over to bother you. Mikk said I should trust you if I love you. _

_So. I'm fine. Everyone's fine. Don't worry about us. Get your diploma as fast as you can and then come back._

_Write soon._

_Kanda._

Allen laughed even as she felt tears gathering in her eyes. Every inch of the letter was stamped with Kanda's style, and it was heavy with the weight of familiarity. She kissed the letter before placing it in her jewellery container, where it would be safe and sound, and drew out her foolscap pad and pen. It was time to reply.

:::

_7 months later_

"There's a big surprise waiting for Kanda," Lenalee said, winking at Lavi as they walked through Kanda's front yard. "Don't swing the cake, Lavi."

"What surprise?" Lavi asked. He stopped swinging the cake basket. "I don't know anything about it."

"Of course you don't. I didn't tell you."

"I thought we weren't supposed to keep secrets from each other!" Lavi said.

Lenalee laughed and linked her arms with Lavi's. "This isn't my secret, dearest."

"Allen's secret?"

"How did you know?" Lenalee asked. She pulled away from Lavi. "Did I say anything in my sleep?"

"No. I made an intelligent guess."

"Oh..."

"So it's true? She sent him a present?"

Lenalee looked at Lavi, her mouth slightly agape. "Yes," she said. "Something like that."

"I can't wait to see it!" Lavi said. "I can't wait to see Kanda's face when he gets the present!"

"Me too," Lenalee said, choking back a laugh. "Me too."

"Oh, look," Lavi said, his attention already elsewhere, "Kanda got himself a wreath of mistletoe this year! Can you believe it? I mean, this is Kanda! When did he ever buy mistletoe?"

"Daisya probably bought it and hung it up. I'll bet Kanda hasn't even seen it."

"How could Yu not have seen it?" Lavi said. He laughed. "Did I just ask that question, Lena?"

"You of all people should know how Kanda can stay in his house for days without venturing out," Lenalee said, smiling.

"He never has," Lenalee said, "until today. Come on, let's not stand around in the cold."

There were already several people in the living room when Lenalee and Lavi entered. Daisya, Tyki, Marie and Miranda were playing cards, while Tiedoll was at the window, sipping red wine and looking out at the grey sky. Komui and Reever were there too, arguing over something written on a piece of paper.

"Hi everyone," Lenalee said.

"Hello," Tyki said. "Kanda's inside... being busy. With what, I really have no idea."

"Cooking?" Lavi asked.

"Nope. I bought the turkey," Komui said.

"And I brought the cheese," Tiedoll said.

"We made pie," Miranda said, finally allowing her eyes to dart away from the cards held tightly in her fingers. "Shepherd pie."

"Salad," said Reever. "I think Johnny and 65 are getting smoked salmon."

"The vegetables and potatoes?" Lavi asked.

"He cooked them this morning," Tyki said. "They smelled delicious. I was tempted to eat them all when he wasn't looking."

"So... what's Kanda doing all alone in the kitchen, if he isn't cooking?" Lavi asked.

"Good question," Tyki said.

"Moping," Daisya said. "What else could he be doing? He is Kanda, after all. You know, he hasn't gone out of this house since I arrived, like, three days ago. He stocks groceries like ... like he's crazy."

"I told you," Lenalee whispered to Lavi.

"He is crazy," Tyki affirmed. "Crazy, crazy man."

Komui laughed. "Kanda likes being prepared."

"He's prepared for a lockdown," Daisya said.

"Daisya..." Tiedoll said. "That's not very kind of you."

"Sorry," Daisya said. "But it's still the truth you know? I love him, but he's a _hoarder_."

"He's afraid of the big bad world outside," Tyki said, nodding.

"The two of you..." Lenalee said. "Kanda isn't like that at all."

"They're pulling your leg, Lenalee," Marie said.

"I'll go have a look and see what's up with the sad boy," Lavi said.

"He's brave," Daisya whispered to Tyki.

Lavi went into the kitchen; Kanda, as suspected, was not cooking – he was leaning against the counter, head down and stance sad. Lavi laid the cake basket by the stack of edibles and went over to Kanda's side.

"What's wrong?" Lavi asked. "I know you don't care for Christmas, but are you so angry that we're in your house to celebrate the season?"

"No. if I wanted to, I wouldn't have let you all in."

"Then what's the problem?" Lavi asked.

"Everyone's so happy."

"Dude, everyone _is_ supposed to be happy. It's Christmas!"

"Not me."

"Is it Allen?" Lavi asked.

"Yes," Kanda said. He looked up; his eyes were bloodshot. "Why isn't she here?"

"Look, Kanda, she's probably busy –"

"Too busy to come back on such an important holiday?" Kanda asked. He shook his head. "Don't bother answering that, Lavi."

More sounds drifted over from the living room.

"That'll be 65 and Johnny," Lavi said. "Come out and don't mope alone here..."

"I don't want to."

"You don't, but you will," Lavi said. He pulled Kanda along with him.

"Kanda!" Lenalee said, meeting them at the doorway. She planted herself firmly before Kanda. "We have a surprise."

"What?"

"Look what 65 and Johnny brought with them," Lenalee said, motioning to Tyki and Daisya. The duo shifted away the Christmas tree next to Kanda, revealing no one other than Allen Walker.

"What are you doing here?" Kanda asked, quite unable to move.

Allen stepped forward. "Merry Christmas," she said, before flinging her arms around Kanda.

Kanda returned the hug. "You didn't say anything about returning!"

"It was meant to be a surprise," Lenalee said.

"You sneaky woman," Lavi said to Lenalee. "So that was what you meant."

"I asked her to help me," Allen said. "I thought you might let something slip, so I made Lenalee promise not to tell. It's not her fault."

Daisya whistled and everyone took to clapping. There was much laughter and chatter and some little shouting until Lavi proposed (to full agreement) that they adjourn for dinner.

:::

They went to the pier the morning after.

"It's cold," Allen said. She shivered.

"Need my coat?" Kanda asked.

"Nope, I have my own."

Kanda lay down on the mat they had brought. "It has been so long since we spoke face to face."

"I know," Allen said. "It's strange that even so, you still feel very close to me."

"I wonder why," Kanda said. "When will you return for real?"

"I don't know... perhaps in a year. I want to get some real work experience after I get that diploma. So half a year and then another half a year."

"That's long," Kanda said.

"It is," Allen agreed. Her fingers found Kanda's. "But... time will fly. We just need to wait."

"I hate waiting."

"So do I," Allen said. "But patience is a virtue, Kanda."

"Che."

Allen laid her head against Kanda's shoulder. "You know I'm right."

"There's no other choice, is there?" Kanda said, shifting Allen slightly so that she rested comfortably on his arm.

"No," Allen said. "None at all."

They lay together on the mat and looked at the sky. After a few minutes, Allen sat up and looked down upon Kanda. "Is there anyone else, Kanda?"

"Jealous?" Kanda asked. He almost smiled.

"Yes. No. I don't know."

"That means yes."

"Maybe," Allen said. "I'm not sure. I'm just... curious. Yeah. Mostly curious about your life."

"What about you? Is there someone else?" Kanda asked. He was no longer almost smiling.

"Are you jealous?" Allen retorted. "You haven't answered my question."

"No. There isn't. Your turn to answer."

Allen laughed. "I've met many eligible young men in Italy."

"What does that mean?" Kanda asked. He sat up.

"It doesn't mean anything. I was going to add that I have no wish to date any of them, though they are very handsome."

"Handsome, che."

"Yeah. Italian men are stylish and handsome. You have no idea how good looking they are!"

"Then why aren't you attracted to them?"

"I think you know the answer," Allen said, taking Kanda's hand again.

This time around, Kanda did smile. "I – I 'm – give me your real address. I promise not to fly out to look for you."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you know my real address," Allen said. "Not at this stage."

:::

The next day, Allen entered Tyki's room before Kanda drove her to the airport.

"Goodbye, Tyki," she said.

Tyki smiled. "Graduate soon."

"I will. What will you do, Tyki?"

"What will I do?"

"You know what I mean. You can't be an unemployed member of society forever."

"I'm not unemployed. Not gainfully employed, maybe, but not unemployed."

"Spending your days at the casino is not employment."

"Hey I bring home enough money to pay my rent to your precious Kanda! And I take care of him when he's in one of his dark moods – doesn't that count?"

"It does. But Tyki – you can't do this forever."

"I know, amiga. I'm not an idiot."

Allen could sense Tyki's discomfort. "Then why aren't you doing anything about it?"

"What can I do? I've lived a life of sin; crime is all I know."

"You could study. Or try your hand at a new job."

"I could. I don't really want to."

"Tyki – have you forgotten why you left the Earl? You wanted none of the life of crime he paved for you. You've escaped his grasp. Isn't this a good time to do something else?"

Tyki walked to the window and looked out. "Maybe you're right."

"I hope I am.

"I'll see what I can do," Tyki said. He turned around and smiled. "I'll try to become a better person."

"That's good," Allen said.

:::

_Six months later_

_Dear Kanda_, Allen had written,

_I've graduated! I have a diploma in social work now! Please be happy for me. I'm bursting with happiness and satisfaction inside. I feel like a cat that has finished a whole plate of milk (although I am not sure if cats actually drink milk)._

_I've found a job – I'll be working at a government agency. Details will be forthcoming in the next letter, perhaps. Meanwhile, take care and wait for me! Write soon – I'll be waiting!_

_Love,_

_Allen_

Kanda wrote back almost immediately.

_Beansprout_, he wrote,

_Congratulations. When will you return? I've a present for you. It should reach you soon. _

_Write soon._

_Kanda._

:::

The weekend had finally arrived – and Allen was glad. The week had stretched on forever; her job was demanding. Allen looked forward to a long rest over the weekend.

As such, she wasn't best pleased when the doorbell rang at nine in the morning. Opening one bleary eye, she decided that she wouldn't answer the doorbell. Maybe the person would go away?

Five minutes later, however, the doorbell was still ringing. _Whoever it is is really persistent_, Allen thought. It seemed unlikely that the person would go away and leave her to her beauty sleep. With a sigh, she slid out of her warm bed and tossed on her nightgown over her pyjamas.

_Can't be the milkman. Postman? No, he usually comes in the afternoon. Landlady? Maybe – but she has my number. Who could it be?_

Allen wrenched the door open. "Yes?"

"Don't recognise me?"

Allen froze. Her sleepiness disappeared in an instant. "Kanda? What are you doing here?"

"I told you a present was on the way."

"What?"

"I'm the present," he said. "Aren't you going to let me in?"

"Oh, yeah," Allen said. She found her keys and unlocked the door. "Please come in."

'You look terrible," Kanda said.

"You woke me up," Allen said.

"Just as well – look at the time! You should be up and about by now."

"I'm tired. I – I'm going back to wash up, okay? Make yourself comfortable."

Allen rushed back to her room. Questions buzzed in her head – _why was Kanda here _–_ what would he think, coming so far only to find her in pyjamas and her face caked in sleep _–_ her hair was matted _–_ what she should wear? _She splashed cold water on her face to clear her mind before moving on to more mundane things like brushing her teeth.

She emerged twenty minutes later, looking far more presentable.

"You look better now," Kanda said.

"Thanks for the sarcasm," Allen said. "Want some breakfast?"

"I've eaten."

"Where are you staying?" Allen asked, as she busied herself with the toaster.

"At a motel nearby."

"Why are you here?"

"To congratulate you," Kanda said. "Something wrong?"

"No... Wait, yes. Didn't you promise not to fly over if I gave you my address?"

"I did," Kanda said. "But I've come here to propose to you."

"Again?"

"Yes."

"You're persistent," Allen said.

"Yes.

"Therefore?"

"I also wanted to tell you that I'm migrating."

"You?" Allen asked. "Where are you going?"

"Here. Let's buy a house here."

"But –"

"We can try living here for a while, since you like this place."

"Kanda –"

"I'm not rooted to the UK, you know."

"But –"

"This place makes you happy right? So let's settle down here."

"What about your career?" Allen asked.

"I can start again here," Kanda said. "So let's get married."

"Are you proposing to me now?"

"Yes."

"In that case... no."

"No?" Kanda said. He didn't know what else to say.

"You'll have to ask me properly," Allen said. She brought her bread over to sit beside Kanda. "With a ring and everything."

"I should have brought Lavi along," Kanda grumbled. "He's good at things like this."

:::

_One month later_

Lavi met Kanda at the airport when Kanda finally left Italy.

"How are things going?" Lavi asked, ushering Kanda to his car.

"Good," Kanda said. "We're engaged."

"You are what? Christ, am I hearing things? I think I'm hearing things."

"Move," Kanda said, pushing Lavi. "Don't gape like an idiot."

"Did you say you were engaged? As in Allen and you?" Lavi said. He waved his hands wildly.

"Enough with the drama. Yes, that's what I said."

"How did you propose? Why didn't you tell me? Did you go down on one knee? How big was the diamond?"

"Why do you have so many questions?" Kanda asked.

Lavi started the engine. "You're my best friend! I care about your happiness!"

"Hmmm."

"So tell me all about it!"Lavi said. "I'm so excited I think I might press the horn for fun!"

"Don't be an idiot."

"So what ring did you give her? How many carats?"

"I didn't get her a diamond ring."

"You didn't?" Lavi said reproachfully. "How could you? Every girl wants some good diamond bling!"

"I got a pearl ring."

"Why pearl? Pearls look like tears."

"I want her to cry happy tears from now on."

"Am I hearing things?" Lavi said. He accelerated. "Oh, Yu, I'm so happy! You actually have a romantic side to you! I'm so, so proud."

"Eyes on the road, idiot. And slow down."

"Did Allen say yes?"

"We're engaged now. What do you think?"

"Of course," Lavi said. "Of course."

"When's the wedding?"

"In about half a year."

"Why are you guys waiting? Why not hold it soon?"

"Allen wants to get her career in place first."

"Ah," Lavi said.

"I'm moving out to Italy."

"You are what?"

"You heard me the first time."

"Yeah," Lavi said. "I just wanted to confirm what I heard. Why are you migrating, exactly?"

"Because the Beansprout is happy there."

"For real?"

"We'll try life there for a year."

"Kanda, Kanda, I'm so proud of you!" Lavi said.

Kanda punched Lavi in the shoulder. "Shut up and eyes on the road."

:::

_Two years later_

"Where's Deke?" Allen asked.

Lenalee pointed towards the garden. "He's playing in the yard."

"I like your garden," Allen said. "I like your entire house. Beautiful decoration and furniture! You're a genius, Lenalee."

"Thanks," Lenalee said. "Lavi helped."

"So how's the pregnancy coming along?" Lavi asked, coming in with a tray of glasses.

"It's good," Allen said. "No morning sickness."

"Kanda taking good care of you?" Lavi asked.

"Of course," Kanda said from behind Lavi.

"Yeah, you've had enough experience taking care of a pregnant Allen," Lavi said, winking.

"She's easy to take care of," Kanda said.

Allen laughed and beckoned Kanda over to sit with her. "I can tell that Kanda will be a good father."

"Am I a good father?" Lavi asked Lenalee.

"You're not," Kanda said.

"I wasn't asking you, Yu!"

"Shut up," Kanda said. "I've told you so many fucking times not to call me that."

"Mind your language," Allen said, "What if the baby hears you? I don't need another foul-mouthed person on my hands."

"That'll be such a crisis," Lavi said.

"Yes, it would," Allen said. "I think we've gone through enough crises for now, hmm?"

"We have," Kanda said, and he took Allen's hands into his own.

"To a good year ahead," Lenalee said, raising her glass into the air.

"To a good year," they repeated.

"Mine isn't wine?" Allen said.

"Of course it isn't," Lavi said. "You're pregnant."

"I don't think we need another drunk and pregnant Allen situation again," Kanda said. "Thankfully we managed to get through that crisis but once is quite enough."

Allen laughed. "Yes. That's one crisis that has been managed and it shall never be mentioned again."

:::

All the crises having been managed, everyone lived happily ever after.

_-Fin.- _

* * *

A/N: There, that's the end! Finally. I'm sorry for the subpar quality of these last few chapters – haste isn't really conducive for decent writing, it seems. Again, I have not proofread this so please close an eye to stylistic errors.

The ending is quite cheesy (I tried to tie in the title). I tried channelling Lousia May Alcott in the last part, but... it was too hard. So I gave up and cut it down to one sentence.

Oh, and as for the pearls – I'm not sure what pearls really symbolise, but my all-time favourite fictional character Anne (of Green Gables) told her husband that she wanted a pearl ring as a symbol of happy tears – or something to that effect.

Well, that's that – now that this has finally come to an end, here's a shout-out to everyone who has read/favourite-d/reviewed/followed this fic. Thank you for your support over the past three years and for sticking with the story despite my tardiness and the inconsistent quality of the chapters. THANKS! (:


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